The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is investing $7.3 million in 10 states to strengthen the systems and services that help families address challenges before they lead to foster care entry. The Prevention Accelerator Grants will support activities such as improving referral pathways, training staff in Motivational Interviewing, strengthening data and claiming systems, and expanding evidence-based family supports.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, this ACF announcement offers a useful look at how states are building stronger prevention systems around families. The announcement outlines the 10 jurisdictions’ plans to improve their services, including better referrals, shared data, and sustainable funding structures that can help families connect with the right support earlier. TANF programs can draw lessons from these approaches when considering partnerships with child welfare, community providers, and other family-serving programs.

The Director’s Corner provides a regularly updated collection of resources selected or highlighted by the Director of the Office of Family Assistance, David Swegle. Recent resources address timely Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) issues such as safeguarding benefits, TANF and work, caseload reduction credits, and child-only cases.

For TANF practitioners, this page is a quick entry point into current policy and practice discussions. Rather than searching across multiple sources for new OFA materials, TANF practitioners can use the page to identify research-to-practice briefs and other resources that may help inform policy decisions, program administration, and conversations about how TANF is serving families.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) gives states broad flexibility to design cash assistance programs, but that same flexibility means safeguarding public funds depends heavily on how states choose to restrict where and how benefits are spent. This issue brief, co-written by Office of Family Assistance Director David Swegle and Assistant Secretary of Administration for Children and Families Alex Adams, examines the federal restrictions on TANF Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) transactions and the options states have to strengthen them.

It explains the mandatory federal floor prohibiting EBT transactions at liquor stores, casinos and gaming establishments, and adult-oriented entertainment venues; the penalty for state noncompliance; and the distinction between location-based and purchase-based restrictions, illustrated with examples of how Georgia, Texas, and Florida have expanded their own safeguards. TANF leaders and administrators can use this resource to assess whether their state's current policies meet the federal minimum and to consider whether additional restrictions would better protect taxpayer dollars and align assistance with program purposes.

Technology jobs can offer strong opportunities for career growth, but training alone does not guarantee that participants will find and keep employment. This MDRC report examines strategies for helping people from underserved communities enter technology careers, including the supports and partnerships needed to make these pathways work.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, the resource offers ideas for connecting participants to growing fields while navigating the barriers that can make technology careers difficult to access. It can help practitioners think about training alongside career coaching, employer connections, and other supports that help participants move from learning new skills to securing employment. The findings can also inform partnerships with workforce programs and employers seeking to create more accessible pathways into technology careers.

This Congressional Research Service report explains how Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) interacts with pregnancy centers and the role these organizations can play in providing services to pregnant women and families. It provides background on TANF funding, allowable uses, and how states may work with pregnancy centers and other community organizations.

For TANF practitioners, the resource can help clarify how TANF resources may be used to support families through community-based partnerships. It is particularly useful for understanding the policy considerations involved when TANF agencies work with organizations that provide family planning and pregnancy-related services, referrals, and other supports. The resource can help program staff and leaders better understand the options and boundaries for using TANF funds while considering how partnerships can connect families to a broader range of services.

Aspen Institute released this financial capability toolkit designed for opportunity youth, or young people ages 16–24 who are disconnected from school and work. The toolkit helps practitioners bring financial education into programs through activities focused on money management, goal setting, savings, credit, and planning for the future.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, the toolkit offers practical activities that can complement employment and education services for young adults. Rather than treating financial capability as a separate topic, it helps TANF practitioners connect money skills to younger participants’ immediate goals and longer-term plans. The resource can support conversations about building financial stability as young people move toward employment, independence, and economic security.

The Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Welfare Coordination (TTCW) program funds demonstration projects administered by the Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF) Office of Family Assistance. These projects examine how Tribal governments and Tribal consortia can coordinate TANF, child welfare, and related supportive services for Tribal families at risk of child abuse or neglect. Because families with low incomes who qualify for TANF may be more likely to experience child maltreatment and interact with both TANF and child welfare systems, stronger coordination can help promote family safety and stability.

For Tribal TANF practitioners, this ACF case study provides specific examples of how TTCW projects are improving communication, coordinating case planning, sharing resources, and connecting families with services across systems. The approaches can help TANF programs move beyond one-time referrals and develop stronger partnerships with child welfare staff. The resource is especially useful for Tribal TANF programs seeking practical strategies to identify families’ needs, reduce service gaps, and coordinate supports that address both economic stability and child and family well-being.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) brings workforce programs and partners together to help people prepare for and find employment. The National Association of Workforce Development Professionals will host a webinar on September 24, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. ET to explore the importance of collaboration and shared responsibility across the workforce system, including partnerships that make services more effective for job seekers.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, this can help frame conversations about how stronger relationships with workforce boards, career centers, employers, and other partners can make referrals more meaningful. Understanding how workforce partnerships can help TANF practitioners better support their participants as they build skills, access services, and move toward quality employment.

Finding relatives and other trusted adults can make a significant difference for children involved in child welfare. The Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network will host a webinar on September 14, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. ET to present how Washington State is rethinking kin search and engagement to identify, locate, and involve family members and other supportive connections earlier in the child welfare process.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, this webinar can help frame conversations about the importance of family and community connections, including how kin may provide support with housing, childcare, transportation, and other needs that affect family stability. The resource is valuable for TANF staff and partners who want to strengthen referrals and coordination across child welfare and economic support systems.

The Title X Family Planning Services Grants opportunity provides federal funding for organizations that deliver family planning and related preventive health services, including education, counseling, and referrals. The program is designed to help individuals make informed decisions about their health and family planning while expanding access to essential community-based services. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs, Title X offers an opportunity to strengthen referrals and partnerships for families who may benefit from health and family planning services alongside employment and economic supports. TANF agencies and community organizations can use this opportunity to connect families with comprehensive services that promote health, stability, and long-term well-being. Applications are due January 11, 2027, at 6:00 p.m. ET.