The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) will convene the 2024 Research and Evaluation Conference on Self-Sufficiency (RECS) in person in Washington, DC on May 29–31, 2024. RECS 2024 will focus on programs, policies, and services that support families on the path to economic self-sufficiency. Presentations will feature research findings and their policy and practice implications for an audience that includes researchers, practitioners, state and local administrators, federal officials, and policymakers. Join OPRE for a virtual information session on Thursday, June 22, 2023 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. ET to hear more about the conference, conference tracks, proposal types, tips for preparing a successful proposal, and how to submit a proposal through the website.

The American Public Human Services Association’s Advancing Family Economic Mobility initiative is exploring innovative ways for agencies to dismantle systemic barriers and enable families and the communities they live in to thrive. While families receiving TANF work towards economic mobility, they can encounter employment barriers. One barrier—lack of reliable, affordable transportation—can impede access to services, education, training, and quality jobs, especially for those living in remote or rural areas with limited or no public transit. This webpage provides an overview of the transportation services landscape and highlights practical and promising applications that can alleviate the transportation burdens families face on their path to economic mobility.

To serve jobseekers effectively, employment and training programs may need to incorporate essential supportive services. These three Workforce System Strategies resources – Local Workforce Development Boards and Child Care, Evaluation of SNAP Employment and Training Pilots, and Implementing Healthcare Career Pathway Training Programs in Rural Settings – document supportive services such as childcare, training materials, transportation assistance, rental assistance, and work clothing to increase jobseeker abilities to access, prepare for, and obtain employment.

Supportive services are one of 14 program elements of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) youth program that enable individuals to participate in WIOA activities. This second set of resources on providing supportive services to youth includes information on: addressing the needs of runaway or homeless youth; youth exiting the juvenile justice system; legal aid, including children’s law programs; transportation; domestic and intimate partner violence; and youth assessment and case management.

(See also Resources on "domestic violence" in the Resource Library)

Reaching both job seekers and employers can be especially challenging in rural areas. This WorkforceGPS webinar recording shares outreach strategies that help connect workers with workforce services and employment opportunities. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners can use the ideas shared to improve recruitment, strengthen employer relationships, and expand awareness of available services among families who may not regularly engage with the workforce system. A PowerPoint presentation and transcript are also provided.

This case study from the Shared-Use Mobility Center shows how a transportation initiative in Oklahoma grew from a pilot project into a long-term service. This resource offers useful lessons for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners who are considering new transportation partnerships or innovative service models. The resource demonstrates how TANF programs and their communities can build sustainable transportation solutions that continue supporting families beyond the initial launch phase.

This resource provides a peer example of transportation support designed to help participants transitioning off of Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to access employment and related activities. It demonstrates how targeted transportation assistance can remove a major barrier to work participation. Tribal TANF practitioners can use the example to explore how transitional transportation services may help participants maintain employment, attend training, and successfully move toward greater self-sufficiency.

This Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility Technical Assistance Center technical assistance resource focuses on transportation coordination for people participating in employment and training programs. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners can use it to identify transportation solutions that support work activities, job training, and career development. By helping TANF programs coordinate across other social services, the resource can improve access to employment opportunities and reduce transportation-related disruptions.

This National Rural Transit Assistance Program webpage offers tools, training, and information for improving transportation services in rural communities. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs, it can help identify strategies for connecting rural participants to jobs, training, childcare, and other essential services. The resource focuses on the unique transportation challenges faced by rural residents and offers practical approaches that can support employment goals.

Many communities have transportation funding available through different programs, but combining those resources effectively can be difficult. This National Rural Transit Assistance Program guide explains best practices for “fund braiding,” or coordinating multiple funding sources, to support transportation services. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs can use it to explore partnerships that expand transportation options, reduce duplication, and maximize available resources.