The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) has initiated the Exploring Measurement of Performance Outcomes and Work Requirements in Programs Promoting Economic Independence (EMPOWERED) study, which examines the use of work and child support cooperation requirements and performance measures as they pertain to human services programs. This issue brief reviews current state policies concerning child support cooperation requirements of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program and child care subsidy programs funded by the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF).

This U.S. Department of Agriculture policy brief outlines the employment and training barriers faced by SNAP participants experiencing homelessness or housing instability. The brief also illustrates models of effective employment and training services supported by SNAP programming. Other discussion centers on how SNAP E&T programs can work in partnership with public housing and homeless assistance programs, citing collaboration between Massachusetts’ SNAP Path to Work and the Secure Jobs Program as an example.

This joint report by the Center for Law and Social Policy and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities offers guidance on how to improve the administration of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid at the state and local levels. Rather than critiquing existing programs, this report illustrates implementation of management reforms in the intake and renewal processes.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to Skills Project (S2S) provides states with technical assistance to help them build employer-driven SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) programs. FNS will offer a new opportunity in 2019 geared toward State SNAP agencies interested in advancing an aspect of their SNAP E&T program, even if they are not one of the 10 states participating in S2S. This Call for Applications provides information on how interested State SNAP agencies can apply for the 2019 SNAP E&T State Institutes. Letters of interest should be submitted to the SNAP to Skills Project by 5 p.m. ET on January 7, 2019.

This working paper from the Upjohn Institute identifies how over half of registering households in multiple states leave SNAP within one year of entry, rather than complete administrative requirements to receive benefits. The paper’s author studied Michigan and combined administrative SNAP and Unemployment Insurance records; findings are relevant for case managers in states other than Michigan.

This report from Prosperity Now provides information about why creating savings penalties towards welfare programs such as SNAP and SSI actually harm families instead of aiding them. Studies have shown that low-income families with savings are able to more easily handle financial shocks. Most states are in the process of eliminating savings penalties due to the fact that eliminating them reduces administrative costs and caseloads.

This report from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation is a required annual report to Congress on indicators and predictors of welfare dependence. The report provides data on benefits provided only by Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Supplemental Security Income, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The indicators reported on are mostly current through 2015, and some select indicators are current through 2016; the report summarizes the changes to the data over time.

This research report from the Economic Research Service within the U.S. Department of Agriculture examines the evolution of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program over the years and uses the historical perspective to examine several major program design issues. It analyzes these design issues and examines the various policy decisions that have shaped the program as it is today.

SNAP to Skills will host the webinar Better Jobs and Increased Incomes: Integrating SNAP E&T into Career Pathways Programs on March 22, 2018 from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. EST. The webinar will focus on how career pathways can help SNAP participants upgrade their skills and advance to higher paying jobs by completing training and obtaining credentials in industries with strong employment opportunities. Webinar participants will learn how SNAP E&T can integrate with career pathways programs to create expanded opportunities for SNAP participants, leverage other funding, and fill service gaps to increase impact. It will include opportunities to hear from specific communities on how they have integrated SNAP E&T with career pathways to create opportunities for participants to obtain better jobs and increase earnings.