During this Roundtable, participants heard presentations from El Paso County, Colorado, and the States of Alabama and New Jersey about innovative practices in those locations. South Carolina shared results of a large-scale research effort regarding the demographics and wellbeing of the TANF child-only caseload. The Roundtable also enjoyed sessions regarding economic security, presented by staff from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the AARP. Thanks to the hospitality of the State of Alabama Department of Human Resources, Roundtable participants were given a tour of Alabama’s Kinship Care (KC) program. Participants in the Roundtable were also able to speak with program specialists, staff, and clients of these child-only services.

Oklahoma requested that the Welfare Peer Technical Assistance (TA) Network sponsor a one and half- day site visit of two grandparent housing facilities in Boston, Massachusetts. In addition, representatives from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services expressed an interest in this unique issue that often presents itself among the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) caseload. Therefore, with collaboration from Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Regions I, V and VI, the Welfare Peer TA Network sponsored a visit to the Boston GrandFamilies House and the Franklin Field Grandparent Housing Development. The site visit took place on October 7th and 8th, 2003. A small delegation of participants also participated from the States of Ohio, Oklahoma and the ACF Region I Office.

In response to a request for technical assistance from the Metropolitan Nashville/Davidson County Social Services Department, Welfare Peer TA sponsored a Roundtable event in Nashville, TN April 26-27, 2005. Welfare Peer TA Roundtables are designed to bring together a group of professionals working in similar or complimentary disciplines in a workshop setting to foster peer-to-peer learning through interactive sessions. This Roundtable was attended by individuals representing federal, State and local agencies, and community-based organizations. The goal of this TA effort was to assist the community in developing collaboratives to improve the well-being of children and families in Davidson County, improve relationships with key strategic partners, improve family stability, improve services to struggling families and improve employment and self-sufficiency outcomes.

The Welfare Peer TA Network implemented a Roundtable event on January 26-27, 2006, in Columbia, SC. The Roundtable event was attended by individuals representing a wide variety of Federal, state, and local agencies, and community-based organizations. The goal of this TA effort was to assist the South Carolina Department of Social Services to improve the well being of children and families and family stability among TANF child only cases.

The Pacific Hub State TANF Directors Meeting took place in Seattle, WA on July 25-26, 2001. States heard presentations on the following: national perspective on welfare reform, a learning disability program, case manager training and retention, and caseload dynamics and time limits.

In order to foster progress in stabilizing and strengthening healthy marriages, the Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network held a workshop entitled Developing a Marriage Initiative for Your State in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on September 17 and 18, 2002. Workshop participants included individuals primarily representing the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and child support staffs from nine States. The purpose of this 2-day workshop was to create an interactive dialogue with States around appropriate efforts to develop and implement statewide healthy marriage initiatives.

The Welfare Peer Technical Assistance (TA) Network sponsored a multi-State TA event on July 15-16, 2003, in Oklahoma City, OK. This event was co-coordinated with Public Strategies, the public relations firm that manages the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative. The Administration for Children and Families' region VI, VII, and IX offices provided additional supports, ensuring this event met State informational needs. The following short summary reports on this Workshop.

This Welfare Peer TA event was a one-day workshop that highlighted best practices and model programs that encourage the development and sustaining of healthy marriages. The event was a collaborative effort between the Bay Area Social Services Consortium (BASSC) and Region IX Administration for Children and Families (ACF) office staff.

On March 18, 2004, the Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network sponsored a Healthy Marriage Forum that took place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The forum educated participants about the Federal Healthy Marriage Initiative, about funding that is available, and about what types of programs that are eligible for funding.

The U.S. Administration for Children and Families (ACF), with support from the Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network, sponsored the Uniting Incarcerated Parents and their Families workshop on May 21-22, 2002, in Orlando, FL . Participants included representatives from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), corrections staff, and child care staff from the following States: Alabama, Florida, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana. The purpose of this 2-day seminar was two fold: to provide participants with an opportunity to understand how TANF agencies and corrections staff can work together to better serve incarcerated parents and to showcase the Kairos Horizon’s faith-based program around parenting, anger management, conflict resolution, basic skills, and job readiness.