This MDRC report, prepared for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is an evaluation of the Learn and Earn to Achieve Potential (LEAP)^TM initiative. LEAP is designed to improve education and employment outcomes among youth from 15 years old to 25 years old who have been in the criminal justice or child welfare systems or who have experienced homelessness. The study looks at the implementation outcomes of operationalizing LEAP in two education- and employment-focused program models – Jobs for America’s Graduates and Jobs for the Future’s Back on Track program – that were conducted within 10 grantees in eight states.

This case statement highlights the American Job Center in Central Pennsylvania (PA CareerLink®), which provides employment services to TANF (through the Employment Advancement Retention Network or EARN) and WIOA clients. With support from specialized staff at each step of the job seeking process, clients can access Job Connections workshops, assistance from job developers, and employer engagement opportunities. This PA CareerLink® also offers adult basic education services and a designated van to provide transportation assistance, among other services, for EARN clients.

Sections of the brief discuss joint service delivery, resource sharing, shared learning, and managing collaborative activities. Readers may also access links to the state TANF plan and funding information for more context and resources. This brief is part of the TANF Works! TANF/WIOA Collaboration Series, through which the Office of Family Assistance’s Integrating Innovative Employment and Economic Stability Strategies (IIEESS) initiative seeks to highlight innovative coordination strategies of TANF and WIOA programs to serve low-income or vulnerable populations.

The Anoka County Job Training Center is the only WIOA job center serving the county. It houses all public assistance programs, including TANF (called the Minnesota Family Investment Program), on-site WIOA partners, and child care services in the same building. As described in this brief, the Center has implemented strategies to streamline service delivery and co-enrollment among these programs, including a universal program application, a team of intake and eligibility specialists, and cross-program practices for adapting resources to meet client needs. This site also offers a rich mix of youth programming, such as employment and training opportunities for out-of-school and in-school youth, and a Human Services Youth Team to focus on young TANF recipients.

Sections of the brief discuss joint service delivery, resource sharing, shared learning, and managing collaborative activities. Readers may also access links to the state TANF plan and funding information for more context and resources. This brief is part of the TANF Works! TANF/WIOA Collaboration Series, through which the Office of Family Assistance’s Integrating Innovative Employment and Economic Stability Strategies (IIEESS) initiative seeks to highlight innovative coordination strategies of TANF and WIOA programs to serve low-income or vulnerable populations.