Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs have long supported families in building economic stability. This Dear Colleague Letter by the Office of Family Assistance explores how TANF funds may now be used to support Trump Accounts, which are federally backed, tax-advantaged savings accounts for children, creating new opportunities to help children and families build assets for the future. For TANF practitioners, the guidance shares how these accounts can fit within broader strategies that promote financial well-being and long-term self-sufficiency. TANF programs may use this guidance to consider innovative approaches that help families move beyond immediate needs and build a stronger financial foundation.

Children that require out-of-home care still need stable, permanent home connections. This Administration for Children and Families brief examines how states are using the Title IV-E Guardianship Assistance Program to support relatives and caregivers who assume legal guardianship of children in foster care. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs, this brief offers valuable insight into the needs of kinship caregivers who may also rely on TANF supports to help meet a child's basic needs. TANF practitioners can use this information to better understand permanency options, strengthen partnerships with child welfare agencies, and identify opportunities to connect caregivers with financial assistance, employment services, and other supports that promote long-term family stability.

The Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response (OHSEPR) within the Administration for Children and Families will host a webinar on June 22, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. ET to introduce a new opportunity for human services agencies and partners to share innovative solutions that strengthen human services systems before, during, and after disasters. This session will overview two challenge tracks, one focused on supporting foster and kinship families during disasters and the other focused on building coordinated human services responses that can quickly connect families to assistance. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families programs, this offers an opportunity to explore strategies for strengthening emergency preparedness, building partnerships, and ensuring families can continue accessing critical supports when disasters disrupt communities. Participants will also learn about eligibility requirements, submission timelines, and the challenge application process.

Young people aging out of foster care may face a stark reality. They leave the system at 18 with little financial cushion and few of the family safety nets on which most young adults rely. To address this, federal guidance has been issued by the Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of the Treasury enabling state, territorial, and Tribal child welfare agencies to open dedicated savings and investment accounts called “Fostering the Future Accounts” for children and youth in their care. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, this is a critical moment to understand how these accounts fit into the broader picture of economic security for families you serve. Youth in or aging out of foster care are a population TANF programs frequently encounter; understanding how to help youth access and benefit from this new financial tool will position your program to be a more informed connector of services.

Many families do not enter the child welfare system all at once; they arrive there after a series of crises that no one stepped in to address early enough. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs can be a part of that early intervention, providing income support, employment services, and family stability before situations escalate.

The Administration for Children and Families has now added new evidence-based interventions to the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse, a federal list of proven programs states can fund to keep families together and reduce unnecessary foster care entries. For TANF practitioners, this resource signals where federal child welfare investment is heading and opens opportunities to align TANF-funded services with approved prevention strategies. If your agency is already providing parenting support, substance use navigation, or family counseling, these new interventions may mean new pathways to coordinate funding and recognition for that work.

The most effective father-engagement programs listen, adapt, and improve over time. The Fathers and Continuous Learning project explored exactly that, and researched how organizations can build feedback loops so they're learning from fathers' experiences rather than guessing what they need. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families programs, this is a model worth considering. Asking fathers what is working versus what is not and what they need, and then acting on those answers, is one of the most powerful things a program can do to increase engagement and improve outcomes for the whole family.

The NEW Annual Program Report helps Tribal programs document employment and training activities, participant outcomes, and the services being provided to Native individuals and families. The Office of Family Assistance developed and published this fillable program report form with instructions for NEW grant recipients. For Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and NEW practitioners, this resource provides useful guidance on how to successfully complete the form, as well as track program impact, strengthen reporting practices, and better understand how workforce services are supporting participants on pathways toward employment and economic stability. Programs can also use the report to identify trends, strengthen partnerships, and support planning efforts that reflect the needs and priorities of Tribal communities.

The Office of Family Assistance developed and provided these reporting instructions, designed to help Tribal TANF programs accurately complete required financial reporting. While financial reporting guidance can often feel overwhelming, these instructions break down what information needs to be reported and how Tribal TANF programs can stay aligned with federal requirements.

For Tribal TANF administrators and financial staff, the instructions help reduce confusion around reporting expectations and support stronger program management. Accurate reporting is essential for demonstrating how TANF funds are being used to support families and communities. Tribal TANF programs can use this resource to strengthen internal processes, train staff, and improve consistency across reporting activities. It also serves as a helpful reference for newer staff members who may be unfamiliar with Tribal TANF financial reporting requirements.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announced $6 million in funding for states to pilot the use of predictive analytics in child welfare programs. The initiative is intended to help child welfare agencies explore how data and technology can support earlier identification of family needs, improve service coordination, and strengthen decision-making processes. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, this announcement highlights the growing role data tools may play in supporting families across human services systems. TANF programs may find this resource useful as they consider how data-sharing partnerships, early intervention strategies, and cross-system collaboration can help better identify family needs and connect participants to supportive services before challenges escalate.

This Office of Family Assistance Information Memorandum (IM) highlights how Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds can be used to support families with childcare needs, including parents and caregivers who provide care at home. It offers flexible ways for TANF programs to support family stability while recognizing the realities many caregivers face when balancing work, caregiving responsibilities, and economic hardship.

The IM can help TANF practitioners think more broadly about how childcare supports fit into employment and family well-being goals. It also offers useful guidance for program planning, policy discussions, and partnerships with childcare providers and community organizations. TANF programs looking to strengthen support for caregivers, reduce barriers to participation, or expand family-centered approaches may consider how they can apply this information in their own communities.