TANF at 30
Landmark Dates for TANF
From the Director of the Office of Family Assistance:
- Thirty Years Later, Welfare Reform Needs Its Own Reform
- TANF and Work: The Gap Between Perception and Reality
- TANF and Work: The Caseload Reduction Credit and How States Exploit It
- The Prevalence of TANF Child-Only Cases Involving Immigration-Status-Ineligible Parents
- Safeguarding TANF Assistance: State Options for EBT Location and Purchase Restrictions
Families are Stronger Together
Many families do not enter the child welfare system all at once; they arrive there after a series of crises that no one stepped in to address early enough. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs can be a part of that early…
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and child welfare systems often serve the same families, but they don't always talk to each other. This Child Welfare Information Gateway webpage helps bridge that gap by explaining what the…
Updated by the American Bar Association each June, this webpage pulls together events and family stories focused on National Family Reunification Month, offering practical resources on what helps families heal and reconnect after separation. This…
Consistent visits between parents and children aren't just emotionally meaningful; they are also often a formal requirement in reunification plans. However, getting to visits can be challenging. A parent without reliable transportation, who works…
Before a child can come home, someone must determine that the home is safe and sustainable. This guide from Texas shows what that assessment process looks like; it details what factors are weighed, what strengths are considered, and what gaps…
This resource is built for parents, which makes it especially valuable for practitioners. Designed to reduce confusion and fear, this Los Angeles County webpage breaks the reunification process into steps from a family's point of view. Reading it…
Work Innovations
As workforce needs continue to change, career and technical education programs are adapting to prepare individuals for new opportunities. This MDRC podcast explores how education and training programs are responding to shifts in the labor market…
Workforce Pell was created in response to a simple truth: a great education and a better life do not necessarily require a four-year college degree. Whether through apprenticeships, hands-on Career and Technical Education, or certificate programs…
This AIR resource explores how Workforce Pell could expand access to short-term education and training programs that lead to employment opportunities in high-demand industries. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs, many…
This Office of Family Assistance Information Memorandum (IM) highlights how Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds can be used to support families with childcare needs, including parents and caregivers who provide care at home. It…
The American Public Human Services Association will host a webinar on May 7, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. to explore how childcare systems and TANF programs can better align in a shifting policy and operational environment. TANF programs can use these…
WorkforceGPS will host a webinar on May 7, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. ET to provide straightforward strategies to help job seekers present themselves more effectively, from resumes to interviews. This webinar will give Temporary Assistance for Needy…
Promoting Healthy Marriages and Two-Parent Families
This resource by Study.com provides practical family conflict resolution activities that help people recognize what is driving disagreement, see situations from different perspectives, and work through problems in a more structured way. For…