This Executive Order by the Trump-Vance administration announces that they will use all available resources and authorities to fight fraud, close loopholes, enforce eligibility rules, and protect benefits for eligible Americans, while ensuring States administering Federal benefits programs do the same.

This Administration for Children and Families paper examines how certain means-tested tax and transfer programs may create financial disincentives for marriage. It outlines how eligibility thresholds, benefit phase-outs, and combined household income calculations can affect family decision-making.

Supporting families in reunification, which is the process of safely returning children in foster care to their parents, aligns closely with TANF’s mission to promote family stability and self-sufficiency. This California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse webpage highlights promising practices, program models, and outcome data related to reunification services. TANF agencies can use this resource to strengthen referrals, align supportive services, and integrate evidence-informed family support practices into their own workforce and case management strategies.

Intergenerational programs are gaining momentum as a strategy to support families, reduce social isolation, and build community capacity. This Generations United toolkit provides step-by-step guidance for TANF partners interested in creating or strengthening shared intergenerational sites, spaces where older adults and children/youth participate together in learning, care, and engagement. With tools for planning, partnership development, and sustainability, this resource supports goals around family economic success, caregiving support, and community engagement.

Did you know that Administration for Children and Families (ACF) programs can help communities meet crucial needs after a disaster? ACF will host two 90-minute webinars highlighting updated guidance on program waivers and flexibilities available during emergencies. 

Program offices will share how funds can be used, how to meet administrative requirements, and how these flexibilities as outlined on the ACF Emergency and Disaster Waivers and Flexibilities webpage can support recovery efforts and continuity of human services for disaster survivors.

ACF program award recipients, state human services staff, and state emergency managers are welcome to attend!

• On March 11, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. ET, presenting programs will include: Administration for Native Americans, Office of Community Services, Office of Family Assistance, Office of Family Violence Preventions and Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement, and Office on Trafficking in Persons.
• On March 18, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. ET, presenting programs will include: Children's Bureau, Family and Youth Services Bureau, Office of Child Care, Office of Child Support Enforcement, and Office of Head Start. 

Did you know that Administration for Children and Families (ACF) programs can help communities meet crucial needs after a disaster? ACF will host two 90-minute webinars highlighting updated guidance on program waivers and flexibilities available during emergencies. 

Program offices will share how funds can be used, how to meet administrative requirements, and how these flexibilities as outlined on the ACF Emergency and Disaster Waivers and Flexibilities webpage can support recovery efforts and continuity of human services for disaster survivors.

ACF program award recipients, state human services staff, and state emergency managers are welcome to attend!

• On March 11, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. ET, presenting programs will include: Administration for Native Americans, Office of Community Services, Office of Family Assistance, Office of Family Violence Preventions and Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement, and Office on Trafficking in Persons.
• On March 18, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. ET, presenting programs will include: Children's Bureau, Family and Youth Services Bureau, Office of Child Care, Office of Child Support Enforcement, and Office of Head Start. 

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the State of Iowa are launching a first-of-its-kind partnership to modernize Iowa’s child welfare information system, creating a new, user-friendly technology platform designed to improve caseworker efficiency and strengthen services for children and families. This initiative is built on user-centered design and robust data and aims to free frontline staff from outdated systems, enabling better decision-making that supports family stability and permanency. Alongside the launch of ACF’s new Child Welfare Technology Incubator to help other states scale similar innovations, this effort aligns with broader federal goals to improve outcomes and keep families safely together.

This Institute for Family Studies resource outlines seven policy approaches states can use to support marriage, family stability, and economic wellbeing — including relationship education, shared parenting supports, income policies, and community-based initiatives. For TANF programs, this resource offers concrete ideas that can inform program design, partnerships, and policy alignment, such as integrating relationship skills into employment services, coordinating with child support and parenting programs, and considering how benefits and work policies affect family stability. TANF leaders can use this perspective to identify opportunities where family-strengthening strategies and economic supports reinforce one another to improve outcomes for parents and children.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announced the appointment of Wendy Horman as Director of the Office of Child Care (OCC) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs, leadership within the OCC is closely connected to TANF’s statutory focus on work preparation, employment, and family economic improvement. Access to stable childcare remains a critical support that enables parents to participate in job search, training, and employment activities. As director, Horman will lead the OCC within the Office of Early Childhood Education and work to strengthen the Child Care Development Fund, the United States’ largest national voucher program, which provides states with funding to help low-income families access childcare. Her work will focus on supporting families and improving child outcomes, empowering states and programs to improve alignment with local approaches to services, and eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy to deliver maximum benefit to the families ACF serves.

Low literacy and numeracy are prevalent among TANF participants and can be barriers to pursuing education, job training, and employment. Improving literacy and numeracy may improve employment outcomes as adults with higher literacy levels tend to earn more and experience greater job stability.

This tipsheet provides TANF leaders with practical guidance on why and how to use TANF resources to support basic skills development to improve employment outcomes. By investing in foundational skills, TANF agencies can promote long-term self-sufficiency and reduced dependence on government benefits.