This brief outlines how New York City’s Human Resources Administration (HRA) successfully restructured its upfront assessment process for individuals receiving Cash Assistance by utilizing data-driven reflection. In particular, HRA used a method…

This report details the rate of youth unemployment by racial demographic during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study described in the report includes unemployment trends by age group and racial make-up using both state and national…

Recent research has led policymakers and scholars to argue that some people might not achieve economic independence in part because of difficulty applying the self-regulation skills—sometimes referred to as soft skills or executive functioning…

This fact sheet provides information about the assignment, pass-through, and distribution of child support for parents who receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). It outlines pass-through payments for families currently receiving…

There is a growing recognition of the importance of healthy social-emotional development and the behavioral and mental health of young children, as well as the critical nature of early relationships with parents and other caregivers. Addressing…

The authors of these five essays explore the extent to which young people from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds achieve steady, decent-paying employment by their early thirties. Using multivariate analysis, they identify factors…

Since the establishment of the Child Support Enforcement Program in 1975, child support policy has played a central role in improving the economic circumstances of children living apart from one of their parents. Prior research has documented the…

This blog entry discusses the potential impact of new state legislation in South Carolina that seeks to tap into federal funding to help cover the costs of its extended foster care programming, which serves young adults between the ages of 18 and…

This commentary provides insight on the way some states have addressed the need to retain childcare workers in the middle of widespread staffing shortages by supplementing their wages. However, research shows that ensuring all eligible childcare…