This tipsheet provides examples of strategies that Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs can use to empower parents to make informed decisions about their family planning through financial capability services. An unintended pregnancy may make it harder for TANF participants to improve their economic well-being and independence. Financial capability services such as financial planning classes and integrating financial planning into relationship education for families can support TANF participants in making stronger financial choices for their families, including whether to have another child.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has launched a new public dashboard that delivers transparent, standardized data on safety and permanency outcomes for children in foster care. The dashboard provides a centralized view of state-level child welfare performance, allowing users to explore key measures, examine trends over time, and compare data across states using information reported to ACF. 

This new tool supports ACF’s broader commitment to transparency, data quality, and performance monitoring. While the dashboard does not include TANF data or introduce new program requirements, it offers valuable context on the service landscape in which multiple ACF-administered programs operate and may inform cross-program coordination and technical assistance discussions.

The Office of Family Assistance partnered with the Children’s Bureau to develop the Families Are Stronger Together Learning Community (FAST-LC), which focused on preventing family involvement in the child welfare system through developing, implementing, and enhancing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)–Child Welfare (CW) partnerships and innovations. FAST-LC was a one-year initiative that involved 10 Tribal and state TANF and CW agencies. 

This tip sheet accompanies a video on Strengthening Connections: Leveraging Existing Networks for Integrated Prevention Services, which highlights lessons from the FAST-LC. These resources feature representatives from the Chippewa Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy’s Reservation, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, and the California Tribal TANF Partnership, who discuss how they cultivated partnerships with agencies to plan and implement integrated prevention services.

The Office of Family Assistance partnered with the Children’s Bureau to develop the Families Are Stronger Together Learning Community (FAST-LC), which focused on preventing family involvement in the child welfare system through developing, implementing, and enhancing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)–Child Welfare (CW) partnerships and innovations. FAST-LC was a one-year initiative that involved 10 Tribal and state TANF and CW agencies. 

This video accompanies a reflection guide and tip sheet, Strengthening Connections: Leveraging Existing Networks for Integrated Prevention Services, which highlights lessons from the FAST-LC. The video features representatives from the Chippewa Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy’s Reservation, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, and the California Tribal TANF Partnership, who discuss how they cultivated partnerships with agencies to plan and implement integrated prevention services.

This checklist helps TANF agencies identify issues and prepare the Work Outcomes of TANF Exiters Report. The checklist is optional and does not need to be submitted, but using it is recommended to ensure an accurate report and a smooth submission process. If you have any questions or issues related to the report, please contact TANFData@acf.hhs.gov.

The Office of Family Assistance’s TANF Outcomes Technical Assistance and Logistics (TOTAL) team delivers training and technical assistance to state TANF programs and partners responding to the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA). The team hosted their September office hours on September 25, 2025 to review steps to obtain administrative education data from state education agencies or state longitudinal data systems. This session included a presentation from states about their experiences and a group discussion what additional supports are needed to meet the FRA requirements.

This guide helps TANF leaders and staff understand the full spectrum of potential fraud risks relevant to programs funded with TANF funds. TANF leaders and staff can use it to:

• Build collective fraud risk knowledge across your agency;
• Understand whether risks are person-based, system-based, or hybrid;
• Apply the WHO-HOW-WHAT framework to assess fraud scenarios; or
• Review fraud prevention strategies that can help mitigate these risks. 

This framework helps TANF agency leaders understand and implement separation of duties—a critical fraud prevention control required by federal regulations. TANF agency leaders can use it to: 

• Understand why separation of duties matters for program integrity;
• Review the national context and real financial impact of fraud;
• See how to structure your organization with proper separation;
• Identify the four critical functions that must never be combined; or
• Learn key control points and adaptations for small agencies.

This resource outlines the Fiscal Responsibility Act Outcomes (FRA) Working Groups. These small virtual groups will meet several times in 2026 to explore FRA reporting topics and to share ideas and challenges. Two groups are currently planned: one on administering surveys and one on collecting administrative records. Additional groups may be added based on interest.

For those interested in signing up for one or both of these working groups, please fill out the interest form at the bottom of this resource.

This is the final video in a three-part series that aims to help Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs incorporate communication skill-building techniques from Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education (HMRE) programs that can promote the maintenance of two-parent families and improve job readiness, skills-building, and employment outcomes among TANF participants.

This video explains how case managers can use Speaker-Listener Technique with TANF participants, as well as how case managers can help TANF participants develop their own skills with this technique.