This Office of Family Assistance-sponsored webinar on February 26, 2019 discussed the complexities of engaging two-parent families in TANF, and featured strategies to improve employment outcomes through relationship education. Representatives from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, Insight Policy Research, Public Strategies and the Urban Institute participated.

Federal benefits programs, such as TANF and SNAP, and tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit, can help encourage work and reduce poverty among working families. In the 2016 tax year, almost 26 million working families and individuals in every state received the EITC, which is available to low- and moderate-income families and individuals. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), families often use these credits to pay for necessities, repair homes or vehicles, and in some cases, obtain additional education or training to boost their employability and earnings. Additionally, research indicates that children in families receiving the tax credits do better in school, are likelier to attend college, and earn more as adults. Looking at the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), the Brookings Institution reports that these tax credits lowered the national poverty rate by three percent in 2015, equivalent to lifting 9.2 million people above the poverty line. Many states and municipalities also operate state tax credit and subsidy programs that can enhance the benefits associated with federal credits.

This facilitated webinar on January 30, 2019 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET shared how they use their state and local programs, strategies, and informational tools to deliver valuable services and disseminate information about the value of tax credits and their impacts on low-income, working families. Presenters discussed strategies for how TANF programs and others can promote and leverage these programs to support the families they work with.

This Office of Family Assistance-produced resource guide intends to support HPOG grantees’ ability to implement stronger employer engagement and employment services. The guide includes case studies and tools created as a result of the HPOG Employment Virtual Learning Cohort technical assistance activity that involved 10 HPOG grantees meeting virtually for learning opportunities.

The State Plan is a mandatory statement that states submit to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); it is comprised of an outline describing how the state's TANF program will be administered, as well as certifications required by the state's Chief Executive Officer. States are required to submit new plans within a 27-month period. HHS/Administration for Children and Families (ACF) proposes to continue information collection without change, and copies of the proposed collection can be obtained by writing to ACF. The Office of Management and Budget is required to make a decision regarding the collection of information between 30 and 60 days after publication of this document in the Federal Register.

The Systems to Family Stability (SFS) National Academy was an OFA initiative that consisted of eight teams (comprised of state TANF agencies, OFA representatives, and subject matter experts) that were organized to design and build collaborative systems within and across agencies to improve family economic security. In this second of three videos that were produced as a result of this initiative, leaders from the SFS National Policy Academy offer advice and ideas on supporting change.

The Systems to Family Stability (SFS) National Academy was an OFA initiative that consisted of eight teams (comprised of state TANF agencies, OFA representatives, and subject matter experts) that were organized to design and build collaborative systems within and across agencies to improve family economic security. In this first of three videos that were produced as a result of this initiative, SFS National Policy Academy participants share practical tips and ideas based on how they implemented strategies to expand their agency's capacity and support system-wide changes.

Strong partnerships between TANF programs and employers can lead to better long-term employment outcomes for TANF participants. By developing a partnership with employers, TANF programs gain direct access to information about potential and existing job openings, current occupational and skill needs, and anticipated changes within the organization that may impact jobs. In return, employers benefit by having access to a large pool of work-ready job applicants who have been pre-screened to fit the employer’s need, receive job supports that improve the likelihood of workplace success such as transportation and child care, and have access to education and training resources that help participants continue to build their skills. In these partnerships, TANF programs can work with employers to balance an employer’s need for productive employees and a TANF program’s need for job placements.

 

In this facilitated webinar, presenters shared how they leverage stable, long-term relationships with employers to increase employment opportunities for TANF participants. Additionally, presenters highlighted lessons learned and strategies for making such partnerships work. This webinar was held on August 22, 2018 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EDT.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance (OFA) Regions IV through VIII hosted the 2018 OFA Tribal Technical Assistance Meeting on July 17-18, 2018 at the Mystic Lake Center in Prior Lake, Minnesota. The meeting provided Tribal TANF and Native Employment Works (NEW) representatives with an opportunity to discuss promising strategies for serving low-income families, share challenges, and gather with peers. Attendees participated in presentations from program administrators and experts, heard from practitioners who serve low-income populations, and learned about technical assistance opportunities.

While only a small percentage of TANF families are involved in the child welfare system, a large portion of child welfare families have received or are eligible for TANF benefits. More than half of all foster children come from families who are eligible for TANF, and most of the families that receive in-home child welfare support services are also on welfare. A growing body of research further demonstrates a strong correlation between poverty and child maltreatment. While poverty may not be a predictor of maltreatment, it is one of many interrelated and complex risk factors that increase the likelihood of child welfare system involvement. In this facilitated webinar, presenters:

• provided a descriptive and demographic overview of the intersections of families, funds, and services between TANF and child welfare systems, and 
• discussed specific initiatives that state or local programs have undertaken to increase collaboration between TANF and child welfare systems through strategic partnerships, data integration, coordinated case management, and kinship provider support systems.

This webinar occurred on April 24, 2018 from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. EST.

This webinar explored promising practices and programs from TANF programs and Department of Labor grantees that help TANF recipients with a disability move toward employment. The webinar examined opportunities and challenges in providing supports and services as well as strategies and approaches, such as customized employment being used to help recipients with a disability secure and maintain employment. It explored opportunities for partnerships between TANF and disability and workforce programs to promote employment outcomes and:

• Provided a context for the connection between disability, TANF, and intergenerational poverty.
• Shared information on evidence-based approaches that offer universal design strategies for youth on TANF and/or in families receiving TANF support.
• Provided information on different user-friendly strategies for implementing Customized Employment, another universal design evidence-based approach to employment that better ensures a successful job match with higher retention rates.
• Highlighted states that are implementing successful practices to engage and support people with disabilities that promote employment outcomes.
• Provided links to resources that can assist TANF program staff in designing programs and providing services that promote employment outcomes for youth and adults with disabilities.

This webinar was held on Thursday, July 12, 2018 from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. EDT.