Going Back To School - State TANF Program Gives Clients Access to Higher Education, Better Jobs

Record Description
The Office of Family Assistance published an article that highlights the benefits of an educated workforce for individual workers and communities. Social Service offices in the State of Arkansas used TANF funds to partner with the local education systems to educate the unemployed through enrollment in post-secondary education.
Record Type
Combined Date
2014-09-17T08:05:37
Source
Region
City/County
URL
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/ofa/success-story/going-back-to-school
Innovative Programs

Arkansas Career Pathways Initiative

Mission/Goal of Program

Started in 2005, Arkansas Career Pathways Initiative (CPI) is a partnership between community colleges, workforce development agencies, employers, social service providers, driven by two-state agencies, Arkansas Department of Higher Education and Department of Workforce Services. Arkansas CPI is aimed at providing marketable educational credentials to low-income individuals for immediate entry into a high demand occupation or higher education. Arkansas CPI improves working relationships between public systems and pre-established programs and services in order to assist low-income individuals in acquiring workplace skills that ultimately lead to economic self-sufficiency and reduced Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) reliance.

The program has expanded from 11 to 25 community colleges throughout Arkansas, providing training in local high- demand occupations and career fields. Career Pathways initiative serves current and former transitional employment assistance (TEA) recipients, or TANF eligible students, currently or newly enrolled at one of the participating public two-year colleges in Arkansas or in a program administered by participating two-year colleges.

Programs/Services Offered

Programs that Arkansas CPI offers include adult General Education Development (GED), English as a Second Language (ESL), and basic education courses. The educational pathways developed by the initiative include: WAGE, Employability Certificate, Career Readiness Certificate, Certificates of Proficiency, Technical Certificates, and Associates Degrees. These certificate courses provide participants with skills in specific fields and provide training in areas such as computer literacy. Another program offered is the Bridge Program which prepares students for credit-based courses that result in college credentials.

Participants in the program are paired with a community outreach coordinator who works with the participant to create individual career plans and overcome barriers they may be facing. The coordinator also serves as a liaison between the participant and employers and/or other program coordinators. This relationship allows the participant to take full advantage of Arkansas Career Pathways Opportunities. 

Start Date
Thursday, September 1, 2005
Type of Agency/Organization
Other Public Agency
City
Little Rock
State
Arkansas
Geographic Reach
Multisite
Clientele/Population Served
TANF participants
Topics/Subtopics
Education and Training
Career Pathways
URL
http://www.arpathways.com
Innovative Programs

Arkansas Department of Human Services - Division of County Operations

Mission/Goal of Program

In September 1998, the Pulaski County DHS offices entered into on-the-job training (OJT) agreements with three Little Rock hotels to provide intensive training and job coaching services to Transitional Employment Assistance (TEA) recipients who are referred to the project. (TEA is Arkansas’ TANF program.) Under the OJT agreements, the hotels contract with a training provider who works on an individualized basis with the recipient during the actual job training phase, and then also serves as a mentor or job coach for up to six months.

Programs/Services Offered

The TEA Program is a time-limited assistance program to help needy families with children become more responsible for their own support and less dependent on public assistance.  In addition to monthly cash assistance, employment-related services are provided to parents, including job-readiness activities, transportation assistance, childcare assistance, and other supportive services so that the parent can engage in work or education and training activities.

The purpose of the continued services after the initial job training is to help the employee resolve problems which may arise during the first months of employment such as breakdowns in child care, so that s/he will have better success at retaining the job. The OJT trainer and job coach provider is contracted by the hotel rather than the TANF and Welfare-to-Work (WtW) agency. DHS, though, is requiring that these additional OJT services be provided by the hotel as part of the OJT agreements between DHS and the three hotels. It is hoped that by working directly with the hotels, the trainers should be able to provide more meaningful training, job coaching, and job retention services to the individual TEA recipient.

Start Date
Tuesday, September 1, 1998
Type of Agency/Organization
State TANF Agency
City
Little Rock
State
Arkansas
Geographic Reach
Onesite
Clientele/Population Served
TEA recipients
Topics/Subtopics
Employment
Education and Training
On the Job Training
URL
https://humanservices.arkansas.gov/about-dhs/dco
Question / Response(s)

Question from Arkansas Department of Workforce Services

Question Text

A representative from the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services would like to know if any State has implemented a Subsidized Guardianship Program? The Arkansas State Legislature requested that DWS complete a feasibility study regarding the establishment of a Subsidized Guardianship Program. Please share some information regarding the major decision points (funding, eligibility, etc.) during the decision-making process.

Add new comment

About text formats

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
CAPTCHA
Image CAPTCHA
Get new captcha!
Enter the characters shown in the image.
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Date
March 2011
Source
OFA Peer TA
Agency/Organization
Arkansas Department of Workforce Services
State
Arkansas
Topics/Subtopics
Special Populations
Child Only Cases
TANF Program Administration
TANF Regulatory Codes
Question / Response(s)

Question from Arkansas Department of Workforce Services

Question Text

A representative from the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services would like to know which of the 50 states have moved their TANF programs to the Department of Workforce/Employment Security Divisions from Department of Human Services? How are the programs working there? Did the caseloads drop and were States able to get more participants into employment since the move?

Add new comment

About text formats

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
CAPTCHA
Image CAPTCHA
Get new captcha!
Enter the characters shown in the image.
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Date
February 2011
Source
OFA Peer TA
Agency/Organization
Department of Workforce Services
State
Arkansas
Topics/Subtopics
Employment
TANF Program Administration
TANF Regulatory Codes
Question / Response(s)

Question from Arkansas Department of Workforce Services

Question Text

A representative from the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services would like to know some cost-effective ways that state agencies may implement to increase work participation rates with TANF participants?

Add new comment

About text formats

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
CAPTCHA
Image CAPTCHA
Get new captcha!
Enter the characters shown in the image.
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Date
July 2009
Source
OFA Peer TA
Agency/Organization
Department of Workforce Services
State
Arkansas
Topics/Subtopics
TANF Program Administration
Work Participation Rates
TANF Regulatory Codes
Question / Response(s)

Question from Arkansas Division of Public Assistance

Question Text

A representative from the Arkansas Division of Public Assistance would like to know what states currently, or plan to, consider TANF participants in a countable work activity if they are providing childcare for the child of another TANF participant engaged in unpaid work activities?

Add new comment

About text formats

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
CAPTCHA
Image CAPTCHA
Get new captcha!
Enter the characters shown in the image.
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Date
October 2006
Source
OFA Peer TA
Agency/Organization
Division of Public Assistance
State
Alaska
Topics/Subtopics
Supportive Services
Child Care
TANF Program Administration
Work Activities
TANF Regulatory Codes
Question / Response(s)

Question from Arkansas

Question Text

What strategies have states/localities used to partner with community-based organizations serving victims of domestic violence?

Add new comment

About text formats

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
CAPTCHA
Image CAPTCHA
Get new captcha!
Enter the characters shown in the image.
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Date
March 2002
Source
OFA Peer TA
Agency/Organization
Arkansas
State
Arkansas
Topics/Subtopics
Special Populations
Domestic Violence Survivors
TANF Program Administration
Collaborations and Partnerships
TANF Regulatory Codes

Podcast: Arkansas Career Pathways Initiative

Record Description

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.

Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2013-03-31T20:00:00
Source
OFA Initiatives
Region
City/County
URL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwAlpqb20Xs&amp%3Blist=PLypiJrod4Deh0o7XBiLkWbc…
Publication Date
2013-04-01

Region VI TANF Fiscal Policies and Reporting Training

Record Description

The Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance, Region VI hosted a hands-on and interactive training for TANF programs on September 11-13, 2012. The 2012 Fiscal and Data Management Workshop in Dallas, Texas covered topics from caseload reduction credits and maintenance of effort (MOE) to cost allocation, audits, and penalties and provided TANF program representatives with the most comprehensive and hands-on training on managing TANF programs available. The workshop brought together State TANF directors and fiscal staff to strategize on ways to manage TANF dollars, collect, analyze, and report TANF participant and program data. Attendees learned strategies for maximizing TANF dollars and local partnerships and worked with peers to understand promising strategies for improving program performance and participant outcomes.

Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2012-08-31T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
Publication Date
2012-09-01
Upload Files
Attachment Size
Region VI TANF Fiscal Policies and Reporting Training - Summary Report 1.19 MB
How States Have Spent their Federal and State Funds under TANF - PowerPoint 1005.9 KB
Fiscal Forum - PowerPoint 2.47 MB
Helping Families Achieve Self-Sufficiency - PowerPoint 157.11 KB
Region VI TANF Fiscal Policies and Reporting Training - Resources 471.92 KB
Region VI TANF Fiscal Policies and Reporting Training - TANF Website References 37.38 KB