The National Healthy Marriage Academy, held January 8 and 9, 2003,  in Arlington, VA, provided an opportunity for representatives from several States to learn more about the Administration for Children and Families' (ACF) Healthy Marriage Initiative. The Academy afforded States an opportunity to hear presentations from nationally recognized speakers, researchers, and Federal policy makers, as well as from other States with successful Healthy Marriage Initiatives.

This report summarizes the key findings of the Administration for Children and Families' seminar, “Site Visit to ConnectInc: Offering Effective Post-employment Services to TANF Clients in Rural Areas,” held June 18-19, 2002, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

Partnering with employers and support workers in the workplace is important to helping TANF participants reach stable employment opportunities. A successful collaboration with employers can help support job retention among participants to maintain stable employment and gain necessary work experience. Moving participants immediately into work activities renders the importance of providing needed supports while on the job. Participants at the Urban Partnerships National Academy held in Atlanta, GA in May heard successful strategies and innovative programs for partnering with local employers from Kansas City, Memphis, and Dallas/Fort Worth. These presentations give information on effective job readiness and placement services, and provides guidance for entities that are determining collaborative roles and responsibilities, including willingness to collocate services and staff.

The Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network coordinated this workshop in conjunction with the Department of Labor, Employment and Training Division. The purpose of this two-day workshop was to assemble a collection of varying levels of expertise from all over the nation among the Individual Development Account (IDA) field to promote information sharing and fact finding. This workshop built on the successes of two previous IDA workshops that were hosted by the Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network during this past year. The program for this workshop was similar to the other two workshops with the additional component of focusing on the flexibility available in using Welfare to Work funds for IDA programs.

The Olmstead Decision and Welfare-to-Work ACF Region IV Meeting was held on August 23-24, 2000, at The Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. More than 80 participants attended, including State Temporary Assistance For Needy Families (TANF) Directors, and Welfare-to-Work (WtW) administrators along with representatives from State Medicaid offices, and representatives of the Developmental Disabilities Network (State developmental disabilities councils, protection and advocacy agencies, and the university affiliated programs). The focus of this Regional meeting was to examine how the Olmstead Decision and Welfare-to-Work initiatives can be incorporated into each States’ Strategic Plan.

In response to a request for technical assistance from the Metropolitan Nashville/Davidson County Social Services Department, Welfare Peer TA sponsored a Roundtable event in Nashville, TN April 26-27, 2005. Welfare Peer TA Roundtables are designed to bring together a group of professionals working in similar or complimentary disciplines in a workshop setting to foster peer-to-peer learning through interactive sessions. This Roundtable was attended by individuals representing federal, State and local agencies, and community-based organizations. The goal of this TA effort was to assist the community in developing collaboratives to improve the well-being of children and families in Davidson County, improve relationships with key strategic partners, improve family stability, improve services to struggling families and improve employment and self-sufficiency outcomes.

This report describes the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Family, Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network meeting, Strengthening Communities Through Charitable Choice Connections. The workshop, jointly sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families, the Office of Community Services, and the Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network, was held in Atlanta, GA on April 9, 2002.