This issue brief from the Office of Family Assistance explores how coordinated TANF and SNAP E&T services can improve employment and stability outcomes for families. It emphasizes alignment across programs to reduce service gaps and strengthen access to training, employment preparation, and supportive services during key transition points.

The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) provides flexible funds to states, territories, and tribes to support services that alleviate the causes and conditions of poverty and promote self-sufficiency, particularly by planning, coordination, and organization of local services, innovation, and community participation.

This Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation brief, co-written by Administration for Children and Families’ Assistant Secretary Alex Adams, describes the reporting practices used by CSBG. The brief delves into the burden associated with the reporting process and how the use of CSBG funds could be better documented. For TANF programs, it highlights the need to balance streamlined reporting with accurate, meaningful data that reflects how funds are used.

Coordinating services across multiple public benefit programs can significantly improve how families access supports and navigate human services systems. This toolkit, funded by the Administration for Children and Families, was designed to help state and local agencies better align programs and services to support whole families.

The resource provides practical tools and structured guidance for identifying coordination challenges, developing shared goals across agencies, implementing cross-program strategies, and tracking progress over time. By helping agencies move away from siloed service delivery and toward integrated approaches, the toolkit aims to reduce administrative barriers, improve the experiences families have when seeking multiple benefits, and strengthen outcomes for children and parents. For TANF programs, these strategies can support stronger coordination with programs such as workforce services, SNAP, childcare, and child welfare — helping families access the full range of supports needed to achieve long-term stability and economic mobility.

TANF agencies are doing important work — but navigating program integrity can be complex, and opportunities to learn from peers are hard to come by. That is why the Office of Family Assistance is launching TANF Program Integrity Office Hours: a series of topical peer learning sessions where state agencies can share what's working, explore real challenges, and walk away with practical strategies they can use. If you are interested in learning more, please share your email using the link to receive details on the April 2, 2026 information session: https://peerta.acf.hhs.gov/program-integrity-office-hours-interest.

This Administration for Children and Families brief, co-authored by Assistant Secretary Alex Adams, explores how predictive risk modeling and modern data systems can strengthen child welfare decision-making and improve safety outcomes. For TANF programs partnered with child welfare programs, this brief highlights opportunities to enhance data-informed collaboration, identify families who may benefit from early supports, and strengthen prevention-focused service delivery across systems.

This Administration for Children and Families paper examines how certain means-tested tax and transfer programs may create financial disincentives for marriage. It outlines how eligibility thresholds, benefit phase-outs, and combined household income calculations can affect family decision-making.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs play a critical role in helping families move toward employment, stability, and long-term economic mobility, including through the use of career pathways, which are connected sequences of education, training, and work experiences that help individuals progress through chosen fields. STAR has created a catalog of career pathway toolkits to help TANF programs plan career pathway initiatives. 

To accompany the Career Pathways Toolkit Catalog, these Starter Pathways are designed to help TANF administrators and staff navigate the toolkits more efficiently and intentionally. 

Users can begin with Starter Pathways to identify where to start planning based on their role and quickly access the most relevant toolkit sections based on their career pathways goals.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs play a critical role in helping families move toward employment, stability, and long-term economic mobility, including through the use of career pathways, which are connected sequences of education, training, and work experiences that help individuals progress through chosen fields. STAR has created a catalog of career pathway toolkits to help TANF programs plan career pathway initiatives. 

To accompany the Career Pathways Toolkit Catalog, these Guided Use Cases offer short, practical explainers that show how TANF programs can apply selected tools to common implementation challenges. TANF administrators and staff can use these Guided Use Cases to quickly identify which tools are most relevant, when to use them, and how they can support TANF program goals.

Did you know that Administration for Children and Families (ACF) programs can help communities meet crucial needs after a disaster? ACF will host two 90-minute webinars highlighting updated guidance on program waivers and flexibilities available during emergencies. 

Program offices will share how funds can be used, how to meet administrative requirements, and how these flexibilities as outlined on the ACF Emergency and Disaster Waivers and Flexibilities webpage can support recovery efforts and continuity of human services for disaster survivors.

ACF program award recipients, state human services staff, and state emergency managers are welcome to attend!

• On March 11, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. ET, presenting programs will include: Administration for Native Americans, Office of Community Services, Office of Family Assistance, Office of Family Violence Preventions and Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement, and Office on Trafficking in Persons.
• On March 18, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. ET, presenting programs will include: Children's Bureau, Family and Youth Services Bureau, Office of Child Care, Office of Child Support Enforcement, and Office of Head Start. 

Did you know that Administration for Children and Families (ACF) programs can help communities meet crucial needs after a disaster? ACF will host two 90-minute webinars highlighting updated guidance on program waivers and flexibilities available during emergencies. 

Program offices will share how funds can be used, how to meet administrative requirements, and how these flexibilities as outlined on the ACF Emergency and Disaster Waivers and Flexibilities webpage can support recovery efforts and continuity of human services for disaster survivors.

ACF program award recipients, state human services staff, and state emergency managers are welcome to attend!

• On March 11, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. ET, presenting programs will include: Administration for Native Americans, Office of Community Services, Office of Family Assistance, Office of Family Violence Preventions and Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement, and Office on Trafficking in Persons.
• On March 18, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. ET, presenting programs will include: Children's Bureau, Family and Youth Services Bureau, Office of Child Care, Office of Child Support Enforcement, and Office of Head Start.