Recent changes in statutes have required the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to issue a regulation to set standards for data exchange for human service programs including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). This Federal Register notice by ACF requests public comments on approaches and tools to meet the statutory requirements and support program objectives most effectively, as well as how to expand the use, sharing, and analysis of data to improve results. Comments are due by January 7, 2019.

A webinar was held on February 27, 2018 from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. to discuss the CVS Health Pharmacy Technician Training Program, which offers a free pathway for TANF recipients to complete pharmacy technician training and certification while being paid. A link to contact information by state for the CVS Health Pharmacy Technician Training Program is included.

The Office of Family Assistance hosted a webinar entitled "Building Social Capital for Families on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Other Low-Income Populations: The Important Role of Community-Based and Faith-Based Organizations" on Wednesday, November 28, 2018. Many efforts to stop the cycle of poverty have focused on employment as the answer, especially after the legislation of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014. However, TANF eligible families need access to forms of capital beyond economic capital to move out of poverty. These families benefit from access to trust-based networks that provide other types of resources, also known as social capital.

Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) play a critical role in providing culturally sensitive social capital to TANF eligible families that create pathways out of poverty as they are embedded in the communities they serve. In this webinar, participants heard from FBOs and CBOs that serve TANF eligible families.

Qaadirah Abdur-Rahim from the Future Foundation and Juanita Epps from Pathways Virginia presented.

Up to 74% of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) participants report recent experiences of domestic violence, compared to 30% of the general population, according to 2013 data. Survivors are often isolated from family, friends, and financial resources as a result of a perpetrator’s tactics to maximize the survivor’s level of dependency on them and decrease the likelihood that the survivor can gain self-sufficiency. TANF and other public assistance programs have a unique opportunity to provide necessary financial assistance and access to critical resources that can help survivors and their children move toward greater independence and self-sufficiency. In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, this facilitated webinar shared key findings about the economic toll intimate partner violence takes on survivors, and strategies for best supporting survivors who are accessing public assistance programs. This webinar took place on October 31 between 1:00 and 2:30 p.m. EDT.

Due to its accountability and efficiency, Performance-Based Contracting has been identified as a topic of interest among TANF programs around the nation. This podcast was convened to provide insight about how performance-based contracting improved employment outcomes for TANF-eligible populations. Brian Anderson from the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families takes listeners on the journey Wisconsin Works took to improve employment outcomes for TANF clients and how performance-based contracting played a role.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA) recently announced an application solicitation to award cooperative agreements to state agencies for participation in a TANF Policy Academy for Innovative Employment Strategies (PAIES). PAIES is a series of technical assistance activities developed to help state TANF programs design, plan, and implement innovative and comprehensive approaches to increase employment outcomes for TANF participants through coaching and career pathways. The PAIES work will document and disseminate emerging and promising strategies, and awardees will receive 18 months of funding, subject to funding availability. Applications are due May 29, 2018. For more information on coaching grants, please see https://ami.grantsolutions.gov/HHS-2018-ACF-OFA-FJ-1280. For more information on career pathways grants, please see https://ami.grantsolutions.gov/HHS-2018-ACF-OFA-FJ-1345.