The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA) conducted the 2021 National TANF Directors’ Meeting from September 20 - 24, 2021. During this concurrent workshop, researchers from the TANF Data Collaborative (TDC) team identified key components to sustaining data analytic capacity in government agency environments, provided examples of activities and practices that fall within each sustainability component, and elicited audience participation to source additional strategies and examples of sustainable practices. The research is based on work with eight pilot states across the country and the results of a comprehensive TANF Data Needs Assessment.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA) conducted the 2021 National TANF Directors’ Meeting from September 20 - 24, 2021. During this concurrent workshop, presenters from the TANF Data Collaborative (TDC) provided key insights from the toolkit developed for TANF administrators about the realities of accessing, linking, and analyzing wage records to inform policy and programming. Solutions for common data access barriers and an overview of key methods for linking TANF data with other datasets were also discussed with the goal of equipping participants with actionable strategies to facilitate data integration.

The Office of Family Assistance has made available preliminary FY 2020 TANF and state maintenance-of-effort (MOE) expenditures and transfer data. The data is available in tables and an interactive map, as well as national and state pie charts. Data is broken down by category of activity, including basic assistance; work, education, and training activities; and child care (including funds that states transferred to the Child Care and Development Discretionary Fund).

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA) conducted the 2021 National TANF Directors’ Meeting from September 20 - 24, 2021. During this panel-style session comprised of “success snapshots,” speakers presented innovative strategies that enable programs to link people to jobs, to better communicate and respond to participant needs, and to provide training and skills development to the community. Presenters shared various strategies for finding employment opportunities, including work activities that are culturally relevant and responsive to the needs of their participants. This session also explored the option of Tribal TANF and NEW programs partnering with local organizations to fulfill community needs.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA) conducted the 2021 National TANF Directors’ Meeting from September 20 - 24, 2021. During this concurrent workshop, a presentation examined how Connecticut’s Welfare to Work program responded to COVID-19 by shifting to a virtual service delivery system while building staff capacity to deliver services remotely statewide. Discussion covered how Connecticut’s initiative kept participants connected and engaged with their Employment Services program during COVID. Lessons learned also included a review of how COVID will impact future program operations, including the implementation of virtual orientation sessions.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA) conducted the 2021 National TANF Directors’ Meeting from September 20 - 24, 2021. During this concurrent workshop, representatives of the TANF Data Collaborative overviewed three pilot projects showcasing their experiences. California examined wage progression for TANF participants who have left the program. New York organized its data into cohorts and spells, which is valuable in providing information about the duration of TANF receipt, reentry, and basic outcomes, and Utah created an analytic file to examine characteristics that predict a cohort of “leavers” returning to TANF.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA) conducted the 2021 National TANF Directors’ Meeting from September 20 - 24, 2021. During this concurrent workshop, panelists explored how Tribal TANF and NEW programs can consider expanding virtual services to motivate participants to pursue opportunities, especially those which may have been previously inaccessible. Speakers discussed a variety of strategies used in the past year to create virtual education and training opportunities and virtual case management services for clients, as well as how these offerings were developed, challenges along the way, witnessed successes, and recommendations for programs considering offering similar resources. This session concluded with a review of OFA’s Coaching for Success eLearning modules, which program staff can use to provide virtual coaching and mentorship to participants.

This brief identifies the strengths and challenges of New Mexico’s TANF system, based on how state and local TANF agencies engage with Hispanic families who apply for TANF cash assistance. The brief draws from a recent survey of TANF program administrators and examines language access, immigration-related issues, and strategies to enhance organizational processes, staffing, and training.

This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation brief presents findings from program participant interviews conducted as part of the State TANF Case Studies project between December 2019 to March 2020. These interviews examined participant background and personal history, past and present employment experiences, program experiences, linkages and use of wraparound services, financial stability and support, and perception and assessment of the program covered by the case study. The brief highlights what participants most appreciated about the programs and how the services offered supported their goals.

This case study describes how the Rhode Island Department of Human Services’ Rhode Island Works (RI Works) helps TANF recipients overcome barriers to workforce success before beginning their job searches. The case study overviews RI Works and presents its key features: where the program operates; how it is administered; how TANF participants experience the program; and the ways that RI Works uses data. Also highlighted are the program’s accomplishments and remaining challenges after its 2018 redesign.