These resources come directly from the field, and consist of tools used by leading practitioners--both TANF officials and FBCO leaders--throughout the country. Examples include inter-agency Memoranda of Understanding, tracking and referral forms, recruitment tools, confidentiality agreements, and relevant participation surveys. Our tools are available in PDF, but if you would like Word versions of the tools, please email us at: peerta@blhtech.com.
Please note: Though used in the field, these products are not endorsed by the Office of Family Assistance, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or any other branch of the federal government.

From the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin, this brief describes the Wisconsin Poverty Project, and how data have been used to provide a view of both needs and resources on the state and local levels. Researchers have developed a new poverty measure for the state of Wisconsin, which was developed to improve understanding of the level of need across the state and of the efficacy of public programs aimed at reducing economic hardship.

The TANF Faith-Based and Community Organizations Initiative was designed to examine promising partnerships between TANF offices and FBCOs working in their communities. The goal of the initiative was to help low-income participants attain economic self-sufficiency by linking together the unique strengths of faith-based organizations, community-based groups, and intermediary organizations with TANF programs at the state and local levels. The project described some leading practices in partnering organizations nationwide, and makes available a set of on-the-ground tools for interested TANF program leaders and FBCO communities.

There were four primary components of the Initiative:

The initiative’s first phase (2007-08) collected information from 139 grassroots faith-based and community organizations nationwide, resulting in a Compendium of Organizations, which documents core components of 139 local social service organizations. After a careful vetting process, 23 of these organizations with highly promising elements—whether because of their relationship with local TANF agencies, unique approaches to serving clients, existing public support, or evidence of effectiveness—were selected for further study.

The project’s second phase (2008-09) consisted of a refined analysis of the top 23 FBCOs, described in the Snapshots of Success report. The research team followed up systematically with Executive Directors in each of the 23 sites, and using information gleaned from informal phone-based outreach, identified 8 sites that would participate in on-site interviews and analysis.

During the third phase (2009-10), the team conducted two-day site visits with each of the 8 leading FBCO partners, and developed initial case studies about FBCO programs partnering with their local TANF office.

Finally, the initiative’s fourth phase (2010-11) compiled these case studies and other relevant “tools” gathered in the field into an online webpage, for use by a larger number of FBCO or TANF program leaders interested in supporting local public-private partnerships in their communities.

During Phase 3 of the project (2009-2010), in close partnership with the OFA Federal Project Officer, the project team conducted two-day site visits with each leading organization, which included faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, and intermediary partners. The case studies were drafted to isolate key insights about local collaboration and help identify strategic on-the-ground practices for FBCO leaders or TANF practitioners.

For many years the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program has been integrating economic, work, and program services with other safety-net programs to improve the available supports for low-income and working families. The impact of the recent recession has provided additional impetus to improve better-coordinated service delivery systems. From the desire to simplify and streamline client processes to improving service effectiveness, integrating TANF with workforce, child support, child welfare, SNAP, medical assistance, and education is key to increasing economic self-sufficiency. On October 26-27, 2010, The Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance, Regions V and VII convened the Innovation through Integration: 2010 Heartland TANF Conference in Chicago, Illinois to bring together safety-net partners in an effort to enhance service integration and outcomes for TANF participants. The conference topics included TANF reauthorization, improving interoperability, serving immigrants and refugees, increasing work participation, employer engagement and program sustainability, domestic violence, and career development. The peer-focused conference sought to bridge the gaps between programs and begin the foundation for future technical assistance, program development, and integration.

In the foreground of reauthorization the Administration for Children and Families Regions I, II, III, and IV convened the first ever 2010 East Coast TANF Directors’ Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 19-21, 2010. The conference brought together 24 State TANF directors and program staff to strategize on ways to move low-income and working families closer to economic self-sufficiency while providing important input on the development of new TANF legislation. Specific topics included subsidized employment, strengthening safety-net partnerships, improving assessments and service delivery for domestic violence victims, and asset development strategies to improve long-term economic development. The conference brought together federal, state, and local partners and stakeholders to develop a new vision for a new decade and to enhance the program options available to low-income families and TANF participants.

As states and territories prepare for TANF Reauthorization in 2011 and continue to navigate the challenges of the “Great Recession” they are focusing increased attention on harder-to-serve groups who may require strategic thinking and comprehensive service delivery. In order to develop stronger programs, increase interoperability, and leverage resources, the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Region IX brought together safety-net partners and other key stakeholders for the Region IX TANF Strategic Session in San Francisco, California from September 15-16, 2010. The session focused on increased program integration, improved service delivery, and enhanced client interaction. Specific topics included improving assessment and service delivery for domestic violence victims, interagency collaboration, client assessment, and program development in a tough economy.

The TANF program, created in 1996, refocused the nation’s welfare system on promoting employment and self-sufficiency, and requiring states to meet work participation rates. This testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance provided on September 21, 2010 by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) focused on 1) key changes to state welfare programs made in response to TANF and other legislation and their effect on caseload trends; 2) how low-income single-parent families are faring; and 3) how recent developments in state programs and the economy may affect federal monitoring of TANF.

ACF Region I held a TANF Emergency Funds: Strategies for Maximizing Federal and State Resources for Families Meeting on January 14, 2010. There were representatives from each of the ACF Region I States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Representatives from the central and regional offices of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ACF Office of Family Assistance (OFA), the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE), the Child Care Bureau (CCB), and the regional offices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Labor (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA), were in attendance. This meeting explored how States could utilize the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 which included the TANF Emergency Contingency Funds, and appropriated $5 billion for the provision of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program for creating/enhancing subsidized employment programs, providing basic assistance (cash grants to low-income families), and providing non-recurrent short-term payments (e.g. four months of rental assistance for homeless families, security deposit and first month’s rent, utility assistance). In order to assist States in developing and implementing innovative initiatives to respond to rising caseloads and/or rising expenditures, ACF Region I held this meeting for States to discuss and share subsidized employment programs, on-the-job training, and non-recurrent short term benefits programs and to work together to determine next steps.

From the College Board, this annual progress report provides a roadmap for educators and policymakers to increase postsecondary education retention. The United States is currently lagging behind in the college completion rate from other industrialized countries, especially for minority and low-income students. With a goal of reaching a graduation rate of 55 percent by 2025, this agenda provides key recommendations, providing promising strategies to help meet this goal.