The Office of Family Assistance, Division of Tribal TANF has posted National Tribal TANF characteristics data for fiscal years 2016 to 2020 in a set of annual reports. Data in these reports cover: number of individuals participating in Tribal TANF work activities by activity; adults by work participation status; adults by relationship to head of household; types of families receiving assistance (e.g., one-parent, two-parent, child-only); families by the number of children in the family; and average age of recipient children. Data tables for the reports are available for download.

The "Other" category should only be used for expenditures that cannot be reported in another line item. Expenditures reported in the “Other” category must meet one of the four purposes of TANF. OFA regularly follows up on "Other" category expenditures to ensure proper classification. This resource covers the permissible types of "Other" expenditures:

1. Tribal TANF Programs;
2. Expenditures for Compact of Free Association (COFA) States; and
3. Expenditures That Don't Fit Other Categories (Requires strong justification), such as:
   • Programs combining multiple categories that cannot be meaningfully separated.
   • Services with unique aspects not captured in Lines 6-22.

It helps users understand the proper use of the "Other" category to help avoid misclassifications.

Each template in this guide is designed as a standalone resource for specific expenditure categories. State TANF administrators and financial reporting staff can select and use any template that applies to their specific program expenditure. There are four templates:

1. Assistance Authorized Solely Under Prior Law (Lines 7a-7c);
2. Non-Assistance Authorized Solely Under Prior Law (Lines 8a-8c);
3. Other Expenditures (Line 23 - includes Tribal TANF Programs and unique programs); and
4. Estimation Documentation Builder (Any estimated expenditure).

The ACF-196R is the federal form that states use to report TANF expenditures quarterly to the Office of Family Assistance (OFA). Part II of this form requires detailed narrative descriptions for specific expenditure categories that need additional context to demonstrate alignment with TANF purposes.

The narrative sections of the ACF-196R form provide essential context for understanding state TANF expenditures and support OFA’s oversight responsibilities. While numerical data shows what was spent, narratives explain how and why funds were used, ensuring transparency and accountability in TANF program administration. This guide will help you develop clear, comprehensive narratives that satisfy federal reporting requirements and effectively communicate your state’s TANF activities.

This toolkit is designed for state TANF administrators, budget officers, and financial reporting staff responsible for completing ACF-196R narrative requirements. It includes three standalone resources that complement the official ACF-196R instructions by providing practical tools and examples to improve narrative quality. 

These resources are designed to help states effectively complete ACF-196R narrative requirements. Each resource can be used independently or as part of a comprehensive approach to improving expenditure narratives.

This template can be used when estimating expenditures. It offers guidance on key components and proposed questions to answer.

This template can be used for Other Expenditures (Line 23 - includes Tribal TANF Programs and unique programs). It offers guidance on key components and proposed questions to answer.

This template can be used for Non-Assistance Authorized Solely Under Prior Law (Lines 8a-8c). It offers guidance on key components and proposed questions to answer.

This template can be used for Assistance Authorized Solely Under Prior Law (Lines 7a-7c). It offers guidance on key components and proposed questions to answer.

Through technology, the opportunity to provide coaching virtually has become a reality. The Coaching in a Virtual World module was developed for case managers and their supervisors to enhance their knowledge of how to implement best coaching practices in a virtual world. It discusses the benefits of virtual coaching, and how to implement virtual coaching in a person-centered way. The module also provides strategies to address virtual coaching challenges. 

The Coaching in a Virtual World module builds upon and incorporates the previous modules from the Coaching for Success series designed for TANF employment case managers.