These Casey Family Services infographics illustrate statewide data on the child welfare system. Information is provided on the rate of children in foster care; the number of children who are involved in investigations for child abuse, receive services, and who enter foster care; and a breakdown of how much is invested in foster care (Title IV-E) compared to prevention and permanency services (Title IV-B). Also provided are percentages for the reasons why children enter foster care and why they encounter repeated maltreatment; the number of children under the age of 18 who live in foster care; and a breakdown of reasons why children exited the foster care system. State-specific fact sheets also summarize these data.

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocates additional resources for housing assistance and services and provides state and local jurisdictions with flexibility for spending on supplemental housing and service resources. This brief outlines how resources for supportive housing services can be used in prevention-oriented strategies for implementing a "Housing-First" approach for families experiencing homelessness or housing instability while also receiving child welfare prevention services. The brief also includes a chart that illustrates how ARPA funds can be used for housing and support services. Other topics include short-term opportunities for prioritizing child welfare-involved families with ARPA funding and long-term strategies for interagency collaboration.

This June 29, 2021 Annie E. Casey Foundation webinar presented findings from a study of 26 young parents with foster care experience. The webinar explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their lives and covered multiple themes: employment disruptions, economic hardships, educational challenges, mental health challenges, insufficient resources, barriers to receiving services, and silver linings.

This report examines lessons learned, including successes and challenges, from waivers and flexibilities that were used for ensuring equitable SNAP access during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report also reviews barriers and best practices that scale program changes for greater SNAP access and identifies needed modifications as well as technical support. Findings are drawn from an online survey conducted with SNAP administrators in December 2020 and January 2021.

To improve understanding of ways to coordinate early care and education (ECE) with other health and human services, the Administration for Children and Families sponsored the Assessing Models of Coordinated Services (AMCS) project. This report shares findings of current state and local coordinated services approaches. States and localities interested in developing or continuing a coordinated services approach for families may not have access to information about the characteristics of such approaches; AMCS intends for this overview to begin to fill that gap.

This webinar was held by the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin at Madison in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation on April 28, 2020. Speakers Lauren Supplee from Child Trends, Gerrie Cotter from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services’ Office of Workforce Development, and Joe Raymond from ICF covered considerations for undertaking successful virtual case management in human services programs, including access to and use of technology, privacy issues, virtual interactions such as home visits, and eligibility and enrollment processes.

Through the TANF Works! Series, the Office of Family Assistance seeks to disseminate information about promising practices within the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) field that can be scaled or adapted by other programs. The series includes three components:

• Emerging Practices Series – Special topics briefs and a three-part webinar series share strategies implemented by TANF programs to help low-income individuals gain and maintain employment.
• TANF-WIOA Collaboration Series – Fourteen case statements highlight the collaboration between TANF and WIOA agencies in 19 locations across nine states to improve service coordination for job seekers.
• Coaching for Success Series – This toolkit offers strategies for integrating client-centered coaching practices into TANF programs. Resources include topical webinars, tip sheets, and multi-page guides.

TANF Works! is part of the Integrating Innovative Employment and Economic Stability Strategies (IIEESS) project, which supports TANF agencies and their partners in identifying, adopting, and sharing innovative practices to improve employment outcomes for low-income individuals.

In June 2026, the Office of Family Assistance launched a series to guide TANF programs in building strong families and promoting economic independence in Tribal communities. This series was designed to provide flexible, practice-informed technical assistance and compliance support to Tribal TANF programs. Attendees can exchange ideas, discuss common challenges, and explore practical approaches that align with TANF requirements and can be adapted to meet the needs of their own communities.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is awarding $2.2 million to modernize child welfare licensing infrastructure. The funding will support efforts to improve the systems states use to license and monitor foster care providers, with the goal of strengthening the processes that help ensure children and families receive safe, effective care.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, this announcement offers a look at how improvements to child welfare systems can support stronger coordination across programs serving families. Modernized licensing systems can make it easier for child welfare agencies to maintain provider information, streamline processes, and strengthen connections with other family-serving systems. TANF programs can use this as an opportunity to consider how they coordinate with child welfare partners, particularly when serving families involved with or at risk of involvement with the child welfare system.