This first webinar in the 2013 Region VI and VIII TANF Data Reporting and Analysis Webinar Series was held on Thursday, June 27, 2013. The webinar, sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Regions VI and VIII, was open to all Region VI and VIII State TANF Directors and staff, local TANF agencies, and contractors. The webinar featured Patrick Brannen, a Statistical Consultant to ACF's Office of Family Assistance. He was responsible for statistical aspects of data collection and reporting of the TANF Data Report and the Separate State Programs – Maintenance of Effort (SSP-MOE) Data Report and for data analysis, including the calculation of the Work Participation Rates. Patrick Brannen provided a brief overview of the Section 1-4 reports, Work Participation Rate files and feedback, TANF sampling, and common edits and error flags.

The Administration for Children and Families' Office of Family Assistance (OFA), Division of Tribal TANF Management hosted a Webinar, "The Initial Steps for Tribal TANF: Submitting a Letter of Intent." This Webinar provided an overview of the Letter of Intent process for Tribes interested in applying to administer a Tribal TANF program for the first time. During this Webinar, Tribes learned how the Bureau of Indian Affairs Service Area Designation play a role in the process of administering a Tribal TANF Program. Webinar participants gained a better understanding of how to identify service population and service area. Speakers provided an overview of the roles of Office of Family Assistance staff in the Regions and Central office as they relate to the letter of intent process.

The Administration for Children and Families' Office of Family Assistance (OFA), Division of Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Management and the Office of Child Support Enforcement hosted a Webinar entitled "Partnering for Children: Collaboration Between Tribal TANF and Tribal Child Support." This Webinar provided the goals and objectives of the Tribal TANF and Tribal Child Support program, including conditions of eligibility for both programs. During this Webinar, speakers identified the differences between State and tribally administered TANF and child support programs. Webinar participants also had an opportunity to hear about collaborative approaches from representatives from Tribal TANF and Tribal Child Support programs at the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe and the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.

The Office of Family Assistance hosted a Webinar, "Integrating Comprehensive Case Management Strategies into TANF Programs." The Webinar provided an overview of various methods for creating an efficient and integrated approach to providing case management services with TANF populations. This Webinar also offered TANF-serving organizations information on program models and strategies that address intensive case management, service integration, and barriers to service. Program representatives presented information on their program design and implementation, population served, partnerships, challenges to service delivery, and lessons learned.

The Administration for Children and Families' Office of Family Assistance (OFA), Division of Tribal TANF Management hosted a Webinar, "Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Webinar." This Webinar was the first of a two-part series, and provided a basic overview of the Tribal TANF program, including factors for a Tribe to consider when deciding if it wants to operate a TANF program and the process of implementing a Tribal TANF program. This Webinar was targeted at Tribes or Tribal staff new to the Tribal TANF program and Tribes interested in pursuing and administering a Tribal TANF program. The information was presented jointly by OFA Central and Regional Office staff, and included a question and answer session.

The Office of Family Assistance hosted a webinar, "Leveraging TANF Funds and Strategic Partnerships to Improve Housing Stability and Economic Outcomes for Low-Income Families." The webinar provided an overview of Federal regulations relating to the use of TANF and Maintenance of Effort funds, highlighted promising State and local program models for individuals at-risk, provided examples of allowable uses of TANF funds for homeless stability and employment services, and discussed strategies for choosing and implementing various program models and partnerships.

On September 27, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. EDT, the Office of Family Assistance hosted the first Webinar in a series highlighting promising practices for building sustainable subsidized employment programs. This Webinar provided an overview of different types of subsidized employment programs that can work in different settings and with different types of employers; discussed the varied funding streams utilized and strategies for matching subsidized employment opportunities to local labor markets and employer needs; and outlined practical strategies used by peer agencies for creating targeted subsidized employment programs. Presenters for this webinar included representatives from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, the Oregon Department of Human Services, the city and county of San Francisco Human Services Agency, and MDRC.

The Office of Family Assistance hosted the "Broadening the Scope of Work Activities: Using Cultural Activities in Tribal Communities" Webinar to provide an opportunity for participants to hear from Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs that count cultural activities as work activities to meet their work participation rates. Information on program models, designs, and implementation, along with populations served, partnerships, and challenges to service delivery were shared. A representative from OFA's Division of Tribal TANF Management provided an overview of allowable work activities and the unique provisions of Tribal TANF programs.

In March of 2012, the WPTA Network collaborated with Arkansas's Career Pathways Initiative - a partnership between Arkansas's Department of Higher Education and Department of Workforce Services - to learn more about their program's growth and the successes with workforce-ready adults.

This podcast highlights the Arkansas Career Pathways Initiative (CPI), which provides a comprehensive set of academic and support services designed to enable low-income, low-skilled individuals to acquire the degrees and/or credentials required to obtain and hold jobs in high-demand, high-wage industries. Staff from the Arkansas Career Pathways Initiative explained the complexity of the collaborations necessary to provide services that enable low-income job seekers to receive educational services, as well as how to help participants understand the importance of education in addition to work activities and employment.

The Office of Family Assistance hosted the "Leveraging Private/Public Partnerships and Funding to Improve Summer Youth Employment Opportunities" Webinar on Tuesday, December 11, 2012 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. EST. This Webinar provided background information on funding strategies for summer youth employment activities and discussed methods for leveraging both public and private funding streams. The Webinar featured speakers from the LA Conservation Corps, the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, ABCD Inc., and the Philadelphia Youth Network. The speakers encouraged those implementing a summer youth employment programs to collaborate with TANF agencies, the business community, community action agencies and other CSBG-funded programs, workforce investment programs, and private foundations in an effort to better serve youth, reach TANF participants, and engage key stakeholders.