OFA needs your help! We want to talk to you! We’re hoping to speak with states, counties, and tribal TANF agencies that have made a concentrated effort to have case managers/coaches complete the TANF coaching e-learning modules. The purpose of these discussions is to learn more about your approach to case management and coaching, how you implemented the modules, and how things have gone since then (what has gone well, or areas for change and growth). Information from the discussions will be used to develop an issue brief that we will publish to share what you learned with your peers nationally. Moreover, your feedback will help inform potential revisions to the tools.

Please contact Megan Rymski with Public Consulting Group (PCG), our contractor for this work, if you are interested in participating. She can be reached at mrymski@pcgus.com.

This is an updated brief from the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) 2018 TANF Works! TANF/WIOA Collaboration Series that described collaboration strategies between Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs to serve populations with low incomes. These updated briefs were developed through follow-up outreach and interviews to explore how TANF/WIOA collaborations have been sustained over time and have evolved as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each brief features a success story and includes snapshot infographics depicting TANF and WIOA data.

Integration of TANF and WIOA services has become second nature in Lehigh Valley since 2018; by streamlining eligibility, customers are immediately made aware of programs where they are qualified and can begin receiving services. The co-location of TANF and WIOA staff with an intentional office layout facilitates a full-service experience for customers as well as lends itself naturally to partner collaboration. The brief discusses how merging TANF and WIOA creates a “familial environment” where caseworkers and other employer partners benefit from this collaboration.

This is an updated brief from the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) 2018 TANF Works! TANF/WIOA Collaboration Series that described collaboration strategies between Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs to serve populations with low incomes. These updated briefs were developed through follow-up outreach and interviews to explore how TANF/WIOA collaborations have been sustained over time and have evolved as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each brief features a success story and includes snapshot infographics depicting TANF and WIOA data.

Communication between the Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency (HHSA) and the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County (WIB) was the primary reason for this collaboration’s success. The seamless transition to a virtual work environment and virtual service delivery by both agencies continued to meet their customer needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The brief notes how the pandemic inspired the County’s successful Reverse Referral Process, while implementing a “no wrong door approach.”

This is an updated brief from the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) 2018 TANF Works! TANF/WIOA Collaboration Series that described collaboration strategies between Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs to serve populations with low incomes. These updated briefs were developed through follow-up outreach and interviews to explore how TANF/WIOA collaborations have been sustained over time and have evolved as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each brief features a success story and includes snapshot infographics depicting TANF and WIOA data.

The Missouri Workforce Centers (WFC) in Kansas City and vicinity and the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan regions provide TANF/WIOA customers with an array of services through Missouri Work Assistance (MWA). The customer flow from TANF to WIOA differs between Kansas City and the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan regions. However, both sites have a similar process where each MWA contractor and its partners assist TANF/WIOA customers at the WFC to support job entry, skills gain, and work experience. The brief highlights key elements that made the collaboration successful, including strengthening community connections, rapidly responding to changes in the labor market, sharing resources, prioritizing team sharing, and implementing a two-generation approach.

The Office of Family Assistance (OFA)-sponsored Leveraging America’s Social and Economic Resilience TANF Learning Community (LASER TLC) initiative provided technical assistance (TA) and support to state, county, and tribal TANF programs in addressing the challenge of human services delivery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with Mathematica, BLH Technologies, Inc. managed the LASER TLC and developed a series of collective TA events, including a Tribal Affinity Group. These events featured national thought leaders and various program and practice models. The events also included opportunities for the 10 participating state, county and tribal LASER TLC sites to meet, discuss challenges, and ask questions of presenters. The LASER TLC produced the comprehensive Digital Resource Portfolio (Portfolio), which presents the information shared at the collective TA events.

OFA will host two “Office Hours” sessions for State, county, and Tribal TANF programs on May 2 and May 9, 2023 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET. The Office Hours sessions will:

• Provide background information on the Digital Resource Portfolio's development.
• Describe the Portfolio’s structure and organization and the core topics covered in support of TANF program improvement.
• Describe how to access, efficiently navigate, and effectively use the Portfolio.

Session presenters will include OFA leadership; Casey Grey Applegate, LASER TLC Project Coordinator, BLH Technologies, Inc.; Dr. Marc Mannes, LASER TLC Training and Technical Assistance Manager, BLH Technologies, Inc.; and Jonathan McCay, LASER TLC Subcontract Manager, Mathematica. Dr. Jeanette Hercik, LASER TLC Project Director, BLH Technologies, Inc. will facilitate the sessions. Office Hours participants will be able to ask questions and explore topics of interest in greater detail with the session presenters.

The Office of Family Assistance, Division of Tribal TANF has posted National Tribal TANF characteristics data for fiscal years 2016 to 2020 in a set of annual reports. Data in these reports cover: number of individuals participating in Tribal TANF work activities by activity; adults by work participation status; adults by relationship to head of household; types of families receiving assistance (e.g., one-parent, two-parent, child-only); families by the number of children in the family; and average age of recipient children. Data tables for the reports are available for download.

Research shows that families living in poverty have a significantly higher likelihood of experiencing crises, and that poverty is the greatest threat to child well-being and the best predictor of abuse and neglect. Further, research suggests poverty is a key driver of child welfare system involvement and preliminary evidence suggests even modest economic supports can stabilize families and alleviate the need for more intensive intervention. Although the relationship between poverty and child neglect is supported by research, there is not yet a clear national policy and systems approach to intervening on behalf of families in ways that preserve the family unit while resolving safety issues compromised by poverty. Scattered across the country, however, are innovative policies, system reform efforts, program models, and practice strategies for bridging this gap.

The Office of Family Assistance (OFA), in partnership with the Children’s Bureau, hosted a webinar on April 18, 2023, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET which examined research conducted and presented by researchers from Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago.

The webinar

• Highlighted research findings contributing to the current knowledge base on the interrelationships among family economic insecurity and stability, income and concrete material supports, family well-being, and preventing child welfare system involvement.
• Described innovations introduced by states to bolster family economic security and protect children.
• Identified pain points and key challenges to collaboration and coordination derived from research and practice.

OFA Director Ann Flagg gave opening remarks. Webinar participants were able to ask questions and explore topics of interest in additional detail with the Chapin Hall researchers.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) will host a webinar on March 16, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. ET. This webinar will include ACF leaders who will discuss the President’s FY2024 budget requests and how it can make a difference for all those ACF serves.