Welfare Peer TA conducted a site visit to the Chippewa Cree Tribal TANF program in Box Elder, Montana based on the Tribe's Request for TA. Welfare Peer TA staff joined with consultants from the U.C. Davis Extension at the University of California to provide the Tribe with an in-depth needs assessment in order to strategize on developing solutions for programmatic improvement. The consultants, Julie Gondry and Dr. Geni Cowan, partnered to provide the Tribe with Tribal TANF subject matter expertise with program based skills in training, case management and data reporting. Based upon the assessment results, the Chippewa Cree Tribal TANF program will receive valuable recommendations to further enhance aspects of their program's structure and administration to reach the end goal of self-sufficiency for their TANF participants.

On April 29th, 2008, Welfare Peer TA conducted a site visit to the Coeur d’Alene Tribal TANF program in Plummer, Idaho based on the Tribe’s Request for TA. Welfare Peer TA staff partnered with consultants from the U.C. Davis Extension at the University of California to provide the Tribe with an in-depth needs assessment in order to strategize on developing solutions for programmatic improvement. The consultants, Julie Gondry and Dr. Geni Cowan, are Tribal TANF subject matter experts with program based skills in training, case management, and data reporting. Based upon the assessment results, the Coeur d’Alene Tribal TANF program will receive valuable recommendations to further enhance aspects of their program’s structure and administration to reach the end goal of self-sufficiency for their TANF participants.

This publication is from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Family Assistance under contract with ICF International. Through the Urban Partnerships Initiative, this resource shows the outstanding efforts of ten cities to meet the needs of families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The innovative practices highlighted in this piece can be applied in other urban areas throughout the Nation to enable other cities to write their own success story during the next decade of welfare reform.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) sponsored a 3-day conference for Tribal TANF grantees in Regions VI, VIII, and X. The annual meeting was designed to address the needs of grantees who have received funding to operate Tribal TANF programs. A total of 30 Tribal TANF programs were represented at the conference. The objective of the conference was to promote awareness and provide information on effective implementation and service delivery, as well as afford grantees the opportunity to collaborate and communicate with each other.

LexLinc Kentucky requested the assistance of the Welfare Peer TA Network to plan and conduct a 2-day statewide Roundtable on the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)/Child Tax Credit (CTC) and strategies to help eligible current and former TANF participants and low-income families apply for the credits. The principal goal of the Roundtable was to build and enhance partnerships statewide between social services providers, Kentucky’s TANF Agency, business leaders, and community and faith-based organizations, with an aim toward helping low wage earning families achieve financial self-sufficiency through the Earned Income Tax Credit.

This Webinar, entitled “TANF Rule Implementing the DRA,” was sponsored by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance. This Webinar featured staff from the Office of Family Assistance, who discussed major changes from the Interim Final to the Final Rule. The Final Rule takes effect on October 1, 2008, the beginning of fiscal year 2009.

The University of Missouri Extension requested the assistance of the Welfare Peer TA Network to plan and conduct a 2-day statewide Roundtable on the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)/Child Tax Credit (CTC) and strategies to help eligible current and former TANF participants and low-income families apply for the credits. The principal goal of the Roundtable was to build and enhance partnerships statewide between social services providers, Missouri’s TANF Agency, business leaders, and community and faith-based organizations, with an aim toward helping low wage earning families achieve financial self-sufficiency through the Earned Income Tax Credit

At the request of the Utah Department of Workforce Services, the OFA Peer TA Network sponsored this event to assist participants in improving systems and resources for providing services to TANF participants residing in rural areas. This Roundtable included participants from the Utah Department of Health and Welfare’s Regional Offices, and representatives from programs in Texas, New Mexico, Virginia, and Vermont. Partner states presented on innovative ways to serve rural families and address barriers to employment in States with large rural areas. Networking sessions afforded participants the opportunity to leverage the Roundtable as a catalyst for action planning efforts across and among regions in the State of Utah.

At the request of the Mississippi Department of Human Services, Peer TA sponsored this event to assist participants in improving job retention among TANF participants who have relocated to new areas. The Roundtable’s intent was to address systems and resources for providing services to TANF participants residing in rural areas. This Roundtable included participants from the Mississippi Department of Human Services Regional Offices, and representatives from partner programs in Mississippi, Nevada, North Dakota, and Ohio. Features of the Roundtable included interactive dialogue among participants to facilitate action planning for Mississippi to strategize about next steps for necessary programmatic and policy changes, and opportunities for participants to learn from one another and share ideas.

The Puerto Rico Department of the Family requested the assistance of the Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network in conducting a one-and-a-half day Roundtable to better prepare case managers to screen participants for learning disabilities. The goals of the meeting included increasing the understanding of learning disabilities and how they impact TANF participants; increasing the understanding of the tools and protocols used to evaluate their participants’ strengths and weaknesses and the extent to which they may require additional resources; and increasing collaboration with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to better meet the needs of TANF participants with learning disabilities.