The U.S. Department of Labor released a report that includes the findings of a multi-year study of the impact of the Unemployment Insurance program in stabilizing the economy during a recession. Completed by IMPAQ International LLC and the Urban Institute, this report includes information on the UI benefits from 2008 to 2009 in the context of the current recession.

Recently, data collection and reporting strategies have increased as workforce development program funders focus on program evaluation. Public/Private Ventures released this report, which is a compilation of data from 200 service providers around the country on their challenges as they attempt to understand and improve their outcomes. Authors outline five recommendations for funders about how they can better support a culture of learning and continuous improvement across the entire workforce system.

From the USDA, this report includes information on how the agency's distribution of loan and grant funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) has helped the Nation's rural residents. The data show that millions of business owners and agricultural producers, Internet users, and thousands of homeowners will benefit, and 300,000 jobs have been created or saved.

For many years the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program has been integrating economic, work, and program services with other safety-net programs to improve the available supports for low-income and working families. The impact of the recent recession has provided additional impetus to improve better-coordinated service delivery systems. From the desire to simplify and streamline client processes to improving service effectiveness, integrating TANF with workforce, child support, child welfare, SNAP, medical assistance, and education is key to increasing economic self-sufficiency. On October 26-27, 2010, The Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance, Regions V and VII convened the Innovation through Integration: 2010 Heartland TANF Conference in Chicago, Illinois to bring together safety-net partners in an effort to enhance service integration and outcomes for TANF participants. The conference topics included TANF reauthorization, improving interoperability, serving immigrants and refugees, increasing work participation, employer engagement and program sustainability, domestic violence, and career development. The peer-focused conference sought to bridge the gaps between programs and begin the foundation for future technical assistance, program development, and integration.

A number of states have created free Reality Check Calculators to help youth, students, and adults understand how salary, wages, careers, education, training, and budgets all interrelate. Reality Check Calculators can be used to estimate the cost of living in a particular state or community. There are several examples of these in California, Minnesota, and Texas. These tools help the users think about what the cost of living is, and how education and training correlate to salary and careers. The Calculators allow users to think about:

• Type of housing they would like (apartment, condo, house);
• Utility Costs (phone, electricity, cable, etc.);
• Food (eating out, cooking at home, combination);
• Transportation needs (public transportation, used or new car);
• Entertainment and other miscellaneous charges; and
• Savings.

Once the user has established their “ideal” cost of living and budget they are linked to state salary, occupation, and labor market information sites.

Savings accounts that are started when children are born can allow parents to build savings to pay for college, home ownership, and businesses. This report is from the Center for Social Development, the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED), the Initiative on Financial Security at the Aspen Institute, the New America Foundation and the University of Kansas’ School of Social Welfare, and presents results from research on families who participated in child development account pilot programs in 12 states and communities.

Many States are currently working to increase support services to improve the health and development of young children. From the National Center for Children in Poverty, this issue brief offers information, opportunities, and challenges that States face when developing policy initiatives to better serve their families. Authors highlight research on how parenting can influence child outcomes, provide an overview of initiatives in four States, and provide recommendations for State policymakers and program developers when implementing programs to support families with young children.

As part of their Rural Communities Initiative Technical Assistance Action Plan, the Montana team identified the prevalence of substance abuse challenges within their TANF caseload as among one of their chief concerns. The site was particularly interested in exploring new techniques that would simultaneously promote work attachment and higher work participation rates (WPR) along with facilitating overcoming drug and alcohol addiction. Based on these goals, the Montana team convened a substance abuse case management training where TANF staff from Roosevelt County and the Fort Peck Reservation were introduced to new and effective case management approaches for participants with substance abuse barriers. The training also included job development and job placement strategies tailored for TANF participants with substance abuse barriers. The training took place November 17-19, 2009 and was led by staff from the UC Davis Center for Human Services. As a result of the substance abuse centered TA they received, the Montana site developed new approaches to managing participants with substance abuse challenges. In addition to utilizing a more assets-based case management approach (e.g. motivational interviewing strategies), the site is also working to implement community involvement strategies that incorporate substance abuse prevention techniques.

The Urban Institute released a report that provides an overview of why housing choices matter for influencing better outcomes for families. HUD’s proposal for transforming federal rental assistance program is designed to expand subsidy recipients’ choice for where to live. Currently, low-income households living in public housing and in federally assisted projects lose their subsidies if they move. As it is difficult to receive a housing subsidy due to long wait periods, families are often reluctant to move away and lose the subsidy. Authors discuss implications for highly centralized, clustered areas of poverty, and offer considerations for why mobility is important.

As a strategy to provide asset-based training for caseworkers and serve New Mexico's growing population of individuals with substance abuse barriers, New Mexico Works requested a substance abuse case management training, with a focus on motivational interviewing techniques. The training was designed and delivered by Dr. Alyssa Forcehimes from the University of New Mexico Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addictions. The curriculum was delivered over one day in April 2009 and two days in July 2009. The training provided participants with an overview of substance abuse in the TANF population, strategies for building self-efficacy in TANF participants, and ways to motivate participants to make positive behavioral changes. The New Mexico substance abuse case management training was attended by 35 caseworkers and managers. Evaluations from the training indicated that participants acquired a set of tools that can assist their clients in overcoming substance abuse barriers. A section of the training was also dedicated to strategies for conducting train-the-trainer sessions at participants' home sites.