On September 27, 2024, the Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) announced their awarding of $4.7 million to help states and tribes develop and refine child support-led employment efforts for noncustodial parents under the Next Generation Child Support Employment (NextGen) grant. OCSS awarded an additional $3.4 million to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to provide technical assistance and evaluate the NextGen demonstration projects. This OCSS announcement highlights the demonstration grants recipients, including six states and two tribes.

Many young people transition to adulthood without access to familial resources and struggle to meet their basic needs. Public benefit programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), housing subsidies, and Medicaid can help young people meet these needs at a critical time in their lives. Young people also need sufficient cash income to meet specific needs these in-kind programs do not provide, and some may receive this through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. However, many young people do not access programs they are eligible for. This Urban Institute report presents the results of a literature scan for evidence about what works to expand young people’s access to public benefits. This report highlights various promising approaches, including targeted youth outreach, benefit navigation, cross-organizational partnerships, simplifying or expanding eligibility, and enhancing administrative efficiency and effectiveness.

The Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services (OFVPS) leads Administration for Children and Families' comprehensive approach to domestic violence prevention and administers the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) to improve support for families and individuals experiencing violence and trauma. Each October, OFVPS recognizes Domestic Violence Awareness Month by standing in solidarity with survivors, their loved ones, advocates, and communities to mourn those who lives have been lost to domestic violence; to celebrate the accomplishments to end and prevent further violence; and to connect with others leading this movement to transform communities to be more inclusive and supportive of all individuals and families fleeing violence.

This OFVPS resource highlights FVPSA grant recipients that are hosting engaging events throughout October 2024.

New York is home to more than one million Latino children, many of whom are eligible for childcare subsidies but do not receive them. This National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families brief draws on a recent study capturing the perspectives of 100 district-level Child Care Assistance Program caseworkers and administrators to determine what Latinx applicants may experience as they seek childcare subsidies in New York through the eyes of the front-line staff who service them.

Administrative burden occurs when individuals are faced with obstacles that hinder their ability to fully participate in society and to access programs and benefits for which they qualify. This can affect many aspects of life, including voting, enrolling for health care coverage or educational opportunities, and applying for social safety net programs like SNAP, Unemployment Insurance, or the Housing Choice Voucher program. While most people will interact with one or more of these systems on a regular basis, low-income people and those from otherwise marginalized groups are particularly vulnerable to the barriers that are in place. The Institute for Research on Poverty hosted a webinar in September 2024, where presenters discussed their research on the causes and impacts of administrative burden as seen in several programs. This recording offers applications and implications for policy and practice approaches that can alleviate administrative burden for affected individuals and communities.

The Administration for Children and Families promotes the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals, and communities by providing federal leadership, partnership, and resources for the delivery of a range of human services. Many state, local, and tribal human services programs have a similar mission to support the well-being of the populations they serve. Traditionally, earnings and employment outcomes have served as some of the primary indicators to assess the success of services and programs in advancing family well-being. However, increasingly there is recognition among policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and the broader field that well-being is a complex and multi-faceted concept. One’s well-being can encompass a range of non-economic outcome domains; be influenced by structural, household, social, and individual factors; and look different across cultures, communities, and contexts. To explore this complexity, this 2024 Research and Evaluation Conference on Self-Sufficiency plenary session features research on how well-being is conceptualized in three different human services settings that support individuals and families—Indigenous communities, welfare and self-sufficiency programs, and home visiting programs—and from the perspective of an individual with lived experience as a human services program participant and as a current practitioner in an early childhood education program.

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline can provide help for people experiencing suicidal, substance use, and/or mental health crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress. 988 is a three-digit support line that provides free, 24/7 access to compassionate mental health support, and that can complement other employee wellbeing resources offered by employers. WorkforceGPS will host a webinar on October 24th, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET that will highlight the services of 988 available when a person or their loved one is experiencing mental health distress and simply needs someone to talk to or be connected to crisis care. By promoting awareness of 988 and encouraging its use, employers and those supporting people seeking employment can create a more supportive environment. The 988 network also offers a potential employment opportunity for those with lived experience who seek to bring their expertise and insights to helping others.

To help workforce development and education professionals better understand trauma-informed and healing-centered practices and strategies, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce and InsideTrack have developed a report providing research and data on trauma and toxic stress. This report shows field examples of workforce development organizations and school systems addressing trauma- and stress-related challenges and offers two actionable trauma-informed and healing-centered frameworks.

Despite the significance of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to the nation’s social safety net, advocates argue it is in desperate need of modernization. Many of its program rules have not been updated in four decades, despite dramatic changes in the country’s attitudes about and policies meant to support full community inclusion of people with disabilities. Applying for SSI can be a lengthy and complicated process, program eligibility and payment requirements can be confusing, and asset limits discourage saving for life’s unexpected events. Mathematica and the National Academy of Social Insurance will host a virtual event on October 8, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. ET to examine the state of SSI 50 years after the program's first payment and to discuss evidence-based reforms that could strengthen the program for the next 50 years.

The most sustainable Tribal responses to domestic violence, sexual violence, sex trafficking, and related disparities are those rooted in Indigenous cultures and values. The challenge for those receiving federal funds is balancing the development of their responses with administering varying requirements of federal funds. This recorded Fireside Session, hosted by the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, shares how Tribes and Tribal organizations can develop their sustainable responses, including responding to challenges to best meet the needs of survivors and Tribal communities by pooling together different federal funds and maximizing impact.