In the face of a public health emergency, economic downturn, or other unexpected circumstance, TANF agencies and other human services providers are required to reimagine and adapt previous expectations, behaviors, and service provision for a digital, dispersed, and/or displaced environment. At the same time, TANF agencies often face growing caseloads and increasing needs from participants who are struggling because of various crises.

OFA developed this three-part podcast series to increase awareness about state TANF agency responses to the unexpected as they relate to legislation, agency staff, and service provision to participants. The series leverages content from earlier resources which aggregate disaster response efforts across the country. The podcasts include interviews with representatives of the Owens Valley Community Development Center (California); the Maine Office of Family Independence, Department of Health and Human Services; the Vermont Department of Children and Families; the Colorado Department of Human Services; TANF of Sonoma and Marin (California) as well as the Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response (OHSEPR), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Labor-Management Partnerships Program at the University of California at Berkeley.

Objectives of this podcast series include:

• Identify state and federal policy responses to natural disasters and other public health emergencies including, but not limited to, hurricanes, recessions, and other calamities that directly impact TANF staff and clients.
• Equip TANF agencies with information and resources to support their staff and participants during major transitions.
• Highlight innovative and adaptive service provision solutions during unexpected events such as natural disasters, public health emergencies, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Explore options for pivoting employment-related services to prepare and upskill TANF participants for sudden labor market shifts.

Grandparents serve a critical role in the tribal family structure. They are often the glue that holds the family together, providing the place to gather. They are keepers of family stories, cultural knowledge, and calm voices of reason. This compendium provides resources for engaging and supporting grandparents and other extended family members to help Native children and families achieve their best outcomes.

Economic assistance programs help provide low-income individuals and families with income stability, with benefits accruing not just to the families receiving assistance but to the economy as a whole. This paper reviews how cash assistance programs—the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit, and TANF—and other in-kind supports, such as SNAP, Medicaid, and housing assistance, serve as a backstop for unpredictable income, low income, and joblessness among low-income households who face economic transitions. The paper also highlights the critical role of the expanded Child Tax Credit, which provided families a monthly cash payment between July and December 2021.

This Information Memorandum (IM) covers how Tribal Lead Agencies can use existing Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) resources, including supplemental funds provided through the American Rescue Plan Act, to implement their tribe’s vision for a stronger system of high-quality early care and education at the tribal community level. It offers examples of activities that Tribal Lead Agencies may implement that are allowable under the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act and the CCDF regulations. The IM also discusses opportunities for Tribal Lead Agencies to participate in a Tribal Early Learning Initiative effort as they implement early childhood systems building activities.

Congress passed The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) in 1978 to protect American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children and families. ICWA recognized core values and principles of child welfare best practice by requiring active efforts to keep children safely in their homes and connected to their families, communities, and culture. The values and spirit embedded in ICWA are critical to the well-being of AI/AN children, youth, and families and should form the basis of child welfare practice for all. This brief describes four key principles inherent in ICWA, provides examples of these principles in practice, and offers questions for consideration to help agencies further explore how they should apply these principles to support the permanency and well-being of both Native and non-Native children, youth, and families.

This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation compendium provides detailed summaries of each family self-sufficiency research project that was active or newly funded during FY 2021, along with brief overviews of past projects, and highlights select findings released in FY 2021. The studies in this report are organized into five sections:

• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
• Employment and the Labor Market
• Education and Training
• Behavioral Science
• Cross-Cutting and Other Safety Net Research

The Administration for Children and Families will host a webinar on April 11, 2022 from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET which will cover approaches to integrating Native language and culture into tribal early childhood programs. Part of the Tribal Early Childhood Development Webinar Series, the webinar includes a panel that highlights innovations and promising practices implemented in tribal communities. Participants can discuss highlighted strategies with peers and hear about resources they can use in their own communities and programs.

The National Indian Child Welfare Association will hold its 40th annual conference as a virtual three-day event from April 4-6, 2022, addressing tribal child welfare and well-being. The national conference will share the latest research on the well-being of American Indian and Alaska Native children and the most innovative child welfare and children’s mental health service delivery practices, highlight tactics and strategies for financing and sustaining services that impact children, and showcase strategies for involving youth and families in developing services and policies that lead to systems change.