These tables from the Office of Family Assistance compile federal TANF and state MOE expenditures for FY 2016 reported by states. As a condition of receiving federal TANF funds, states are required to spend a certain amount of their own funds (MOE) on TANF-allowable categories. Expenditures are grouped into 20 main categories and are detailed in the provided report.

This brief from the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) includes consultation with experts and a literature review to determine how to best invest in programs that serve low-income children and adults. It highlights the need for program implementation to integrate research and evaluation findings for programs that combine services for children and adults. Program leaders can also use rapid-cycle testing and collaborate with researchers to quickly inform the field of promising outcomes.

To help the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA) better understand what is needed for organizations to successfully embed two-generation approaches in their service delivery, OFA created a year-long Community of Learning (COL) initiative to support 11 interested program teams from across the United States. Invited to participate were Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs, Tribal TANF/Child Welfare Collaboration (TTCW) grantees, Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) programs, and Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) programs. To mark the end of the year for the two-generation COL, OFA held the Two-Generation Community of Learning Capstone Event at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda Hotel in Bethesda, Maryland on September 18-20, 2017. This capstone and closeout of the COL brought together two-gen COL participants and provided them the opportunity to reflect on, celebrate, and acknowledge the progress that teams have made in implementing their whole family focus visions and strategies, as well as their next steps.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA), held the Linking Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Families to Employment and Economic Opportunities Meeting at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Arlington, Virginia on August 14-16, 2017. This meeting allowed Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program representatives from around the country the opportunity to learn about promising practices and actionable implementation strategies to improve employment outcomes and economic independence among TANF families. Over the course of the meeting, attendees attended presentations from experts and program administrators, and participated in peer-moderated InfoSessions, OFA Regional breakout discussions, and a sharing session with OFA leadership. Almost 300 TANF representatives, State and Territory Human Service Commissioners, and federal partners attended the meeting.

This blog post from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families describes a new report commissioned by the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities and the American Public Human Services Association entitled “Our North Star: Transforming Human Services through Strategic Partnerships with Communities.” The report shares ACF’s vision for strengthening human services by uniting with community-based organizations and other partners, aligning efforts, and crossing program boundaries to improve the lives of children and their families. Also featured are some “north star” initiatives and examples; these initiatives include committing to measuring long-term outcomes, investing in capacity for innovation, developing strategic partnerships, and reducing regulatory barriers.

On August 17, 2017, the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) sponsored a technical assistance site exchange for Ramsey County (Minnesota) Workforce Solutions to meet with staff from the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation’s (DLLR) Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning, and Maryland Department of Human Services’ Office of Workforce Development to discuss service delivery methods. During the site exchange, Ramsey County shared materials that reflect their approach to adopting and implementing a comprehensive, strengths-based, service delivery model, including how they built staff capacity through training on coaching, motivational interviewing, and executive functioning skills. (When using these materials, Mathematica, Goodwill Easter Seals of Minnesota, and Ramsey County Workforce Solutions should be credited.)

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is the first federal legislative reform of the public workforce system in over 16 years. It presents unique opportunities to increase the economic opportunities and stability of disadvantaged jobseekers. The state of Maryland became one of only 29 states and 2 territories that opted to develop a Combined State Plan which aligns its workforce and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs across the state, requiring its 12 Local Workforce Areas to design distinct implementation plans responsive to the population needs in each of Maryland’s 24 counties (and Baltimore City). This report, developed through the Office of Family Assistance, details Maryland’s TANF/WIOA Alignment Process.

In this conceptual framework and literature review, completed in partnership with OPRE and the Urban Institute, research on racial and ethnic differences and disparities are synthetized with the service delivery of six ACF programs, including TANF, Child Support, Child Care and Developmental Fund, Head Start, and the Family and Youth Service Bureau programs for runaway and homeless youth. The findings highlight the large body of work on racial and ethnic differences in access, services, and treatment.

Social capital refers to the resources and support that people can access by virtue of their networks – from family, friends, and neighbors, to teachers, colleagues, and social services staff. Greater social capital is associated with greater mobility and wellbeing, through access to information, support, and reinforcement of positive norms. It has also been associated with greater resilience, the capacity to adapt positively to risk or adversity. Research indicates that organizations can be a source for helping individuals build social capital through opportunities for peer networking and assuming leadership roles, which may heighten motivation to persist in achieving education and employment goals (Sabol & Chase-Lansdale, 2014). OFA sponsored a webinar that explored how TANF and other social service programs can be a source to help participants build social capital that will support their journey to self-sufficiency.

In this study from Mathematica Policy Research, women’s criminal records are examined to determine their effects on employment, health, and welfare participation. The study followed disadvantaged women over thirteen years. By simulating behaviors and other trajectories, the researchers were able to find differences between external and causal effects, including policy and choice, of their outcomes in health, employment, and welfare involvement.