State agencies administer many federally funded programs, making strong fraud prevention and oversight essential to protecting public resources. This Government Accountability Office (GAO) report examines common fraud risks and highlights approaches agencies can use to identify vulnerabilities, strengthen controls, and respond to suspected fraud.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) agencies, the report provides broader lessons that can be applied to program integrity efforts. It can help TANF agencies assess where weaknesses may exist in the processes used to determine eligibility, issue payments, manage contracts, or oversee other program functions, and consider whether existing controls are working as intended. The resource is especially useful for TANF programs looking to strengthen prevention without creating unnecessary barriers for eligible families.

Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) can perform tasks and make decisions with less direct human involvement than traditional AI tools, creating new possibilities for government operations—and new risks. This Urban Institute playbook provides state and local governments with practical guidance for using these systems responsibly, with attention to oversight, security, transparency, and accountability.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) agencies, the playbook can help leaders think through where AI may genuinely improve operations and where human review remains essential. It provides a framework for considering issues such as privacy, bias, reliability, and accountability before putting AI into practice. For TANF programs handling sensitive information and making decisions that affect families, planning before adoption is critical to using new technology without compromising trust.

People can qualify for public benefits and still struggle to get the help they need. This Sutherland Institute podcast episode examines how complicated application processes, fragmented programs, and administrative barriers can make the safety net difficult to navigate.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, the resource offers a useful lens for thinking about the experience of families seeking assistance. It can prompt TANF agencies to look beyond eligibility rules and ask whether their processes make it easy for eligible families to access support. These lessons can inform efforts to simplify applications, improve communication, strengthen connections across programs, and reduce unnecessary barriers.

Career-Connected Learning in Maryland helps students understand how what they learn in school connects to future education, training, and careers. This webpage can provide knowledge about apprenticeships and career-connected learning experiences available in Maryland and how the state supports industry-led experiences that prepare young people for the workforce. There is also guidance on planning for education and life after high school, as well as how students can earn industry-recognized credentials that open doors to competitive careers.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, this resource can support conversations with young parents and families about education, training, and career planning. Information about apprenticeships, industry-recognized credentials, and career-connected learning can help TANF practitioners make more targeted referrals and connect families with opportunities that lead to competitive careers. It can also help TANF programs and their workforce partners strengthen relationships with schools, employers, and training providers so young people receive support as they prepare for life after high school.

The newly renovated Career Pathways: Catalog of Toolkits webpage offers an improved user experience and makes it easier to find workforce development resources. Developed by the Office of Family Assistance, the 2025 catalog features 24 toolkits from federal and state agencies, research organizations, and workforce stakeholders. Each resource supports career pathways and aligns with Administration for Children and Families priorities, including efforts to streamline fragmented workforce programs and connect workers with secure, well-paying jobs in high-need fields.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners and workforce partners, the catalog provides practical guidance on collaborating with employers, strengthening registered apprenticeships, connecting community college and job training to sequential credentials, launching career pathways initiatives, and engaging state, local, and county partners. The updated webpage helps users quickly identify tools that fit their TANF program goals, participant needs, and local workforce opportunities.

September is National Kinship Care Month, recognizing the relatives and close family friends who step in to care for children when their parents cannot. This Child Welfare Information Gateway webpage offers a collection of information, tools, and resources to help communities better understand and support kinship caregivers.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, the webpage can help build awareness of the needs of families who take on caregiving responsibilities unexpectedly and strengthen referrals to available supports. Kinship caregivers may need assistance with food, housing, financial support, childcare, and other services. The collection can also help TANF practitioners identify resources that connect caregivers with the assistance they need while recognizing the unique circumstances of kinship families.

On August 6, 2026, the Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Family Assistance issued IM-26-02: Anti-fraud Best Practice—Closing Long-term Out-of-State EBT (CLOSE). OFA is recommending that states adopt the CLOSE process as a best practice for meeting an existing statutory obligation: ensuring Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds are spent only on eligible, resident families and are safeguarded against fraud, as required under PRWORA and Section 408(a) of the Social Security Act.  

OFA will host an Office Hours session on September 15 at 2:00 p.m. ET to give TANF programs an opportunity to learn more about this recommended practice, including: 

• An overview of the CLOSE process and its core components; 
• A review of the foundational statute and existing policy behind it; 
• Clarity on what is, and isn't, being asked of states; 
• State examples of CLOSE-related practices already in place; 
• Lessons learned and implementation considerations; and 
• Facilitated peer exchange and discussion. 

If you have questions related to this topic you would like addressed during the session, please email us at: starinfo@blhtech.com. 

Government agencies are exploring artificial intelligence (AI) as a way to streamline routine work, improve services, and make better use of information. But for programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), adopting AI is not simply a matter of finding a tool that can save time. Agencies also need to consider how new technology fits into existing processes, protects sensitive information, and affects the people who rely on public services.

GovLoop will host a webinar on September 16 at 2:00 P.M. ET to demonstrate how AI can be used in government operations while keeping practical outcomes in view. For TANF practitioners, this can help frame conversations about where AI may be useful—for example, reducing administrative burdens or helping staff manage information—while recognizing where human expertise and judgment remain essential.

The resource is valuable for TANF leaders and staff who are beginning to explore AI or are already considering how it could fit into their work. It encourages agencies to focus on the problems they are trying to solve rather than adopting technology simply because it is new. That approach can help TANF programs pursue innovation in ways that improve staff capacity and service delivery while keeping participant's needs, privacy, accountability, and trust at the center.