In December 2025, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) sent letters to 39 governors, calling for immediate action to protect vulnerable foster youth in their states. The letters highlighted the pressing issue of state child welfare agencies diverting foster youths’ earned Social Security survivor benefits. These agencies were intercepting federal benefits, such as Social Security survivor benefits earned through a deceased parent’s lifetime contributions, that were intended for a child in foster care. The agencies then used these funds to reimburse their own costs.

ACF has notified the governors who allowed this practice and is working with states to end it. The goal is to ensure these earned benefits are no longer taken from foster youth and are instead preserved to support them as they transition out of state care.

The National Youth Employment Coalition will host a webinar on May 14, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. to assist workforce development professionals with better understanding and responding to the emotional experiences of young people. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners working with youth and young adults, especially those facing instability or major life transitions, emotional regulation and communication can directly affect engagement in employment and supportive services. This webinar will provide practical evidence-based strategies staff can use to build trust, improve communication, and create more supportive interactions with youth participants.

This implementation guide outlines practical steps for designing, delivering, or partnering on sexual risk avoidance education programs. It emphasizes structure, consistency, and alignment with broader youth development goals. In Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) settings, it can be used to support program design decisions or partnerships with schools and community organizations, strengthening prevention efforts that contribute to long-term family and economic stability.

This report presents evidence and perspectives on how sexual risk avoidance approaches have proven to influence youth behavior and support healthier outcomes over time. It focuses on long-term patterns rather than short-term interventions. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs, it can help build the case for and inform prevention-oriented youth programming that complements family support services and reduces future demand for intensive assistance.

This resource explains the foundations of sexual risk avoidance education and how it is designed to support youth in making intentional, long-term healthy choices. It helps clarify how prevention-based approaches fit into broader adolescent development strategies. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs can use it to inform staff, partners, and youth-focused initiatives that aim to reduce early unplanned parenthood and strengthen pathways to stable adulthood.

This curriculum by Making a Difference focuses on helping young people build decision-making skills, understand consequences, and reduce behaviors that increase risk of unintended pregnancy. The resource addresses a key prevention gap by reaching youth before patterns of instability begin. In Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) contexts, it can support broader family well-being strategies by strengthening youth development efforts that reduce future need for crisis-driven services and support healthier transitions into adulthood. There is a fee for access to the curriculum.

This One Key Question® tool introduces a simple but structured way for individuals to reflect on whether they want to become parents and when. The resource creates space for intentional decision-making at moments when family planning conversations are often overlooked or rushed. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs, it can be used as a conversation starter in coaching or health-focused services, helping participants connect reproductive goals with financial readiness, life planning, and long-term stability. There is a fee for access to the training.

This brief explores strategies to help young adults successfully connect to education and employment pathways. Effective career pathway models emphasize coordinated services, work-based learning, and strong partnerships across systems. For TANF programs, these approaches reinforce the importance of aligning employment services with education and training opportunities, especially for young parents and youth transitioning to independence, to support long-term economic mobility.

The National Youth Employment Coalition will host a webinar on March 19, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. ET to explore how opportunity navigation and social capital strategies can help young people connect to education, training, and career pathways. TANF programs supporting youth and young parents may find these approaches valuable for strengthening workforce partnerships and improving employment outcomes.