In July 2026, the Administration for Children and Families released notice of funding opportunities for two highly anticipated competitive kinship navigator funding opportunities. Applications are due August 7, 2026.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs frequently support grandparents and other relatives who step in to care for children during difficult times. This resource explains federal funding opportunities available to Kinship Navigator Programs, which help caregivers connect with services such as financial assistance, legal support, health care, and community resources. TANF practitioners may want to consider strengthening partnerships with kinship organizations in pursuit of these grants to improve referrals and ensure the caregivers they work with receive the support they need to create stable homes for children. Additional supporting information is provided, including a toolkit for developing kinship navigator programs, a list of kinship navigator programs across the country, and a webinar recording examining which federally approved kinship navigator program model is right for your state or Tribe. 

As of July 15, 2026, 30 states have either ended or substantially reformed the practice of diverting Social Security survivor benefits from foster youth. The action marks a major milestone in protecting earned benefits for some of the nation’s most vulnerable children.

In addition, states can now preserve foster youth’s Social Security survivor benefits in Fostering the Future Accounts — the newly announced investment vehicle designed to empower foster youth and support long-term wealth building. Since the accounts were announced in June, 25 governors have pledged to open Fostering the Future Accounts in their respective states. States both ending the orphan tax and pledging to open Fostering the Future Accounts advance President Donald J. Trump and the First Lady’s Executive Order on Fostering the Future for American Children and Families designed to improve the nation's child welfare system and protect the financial future of children in foster care.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has announced the Title IV-E Prevention Accelerator Grant, a new funding opportunity to help eligible Title IV-E agencies implement and sustain evidence-based prevention services that strengthen families and help children safely remain at home. Grants ranging from $300,000 to $750,000 will support states and Tribes in building the infrastructure needed to move prevention programs from planning to long-term implementation.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs, this opportunity highlights the value of partnering with child welfare agencies to better coordinate services for families with complex needs. State and Tribal TANF agencies may wish to explore collaboration with eligible Title IV-E agencies to align supportive services, strengthen prevention efforts, and improve outcomes for families. Applications are due August 17, 2026.

These Rural LISC case studies provide real examples of workforce development efforts in rural communities across the country. Each example shows different approaches to skills training, employer engagement, and community partnerships. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners can refer to these concrete ideas for building local partnerships, designing training programs, and supporting workers in rural areas.

• Upskill NW Arkansas
• Delta Compass, Washington County, MS
• People, Inc. of Virginia

Reaching both job seekers and employers can be especially challenging in rural areas. This WorkforceGPS webinar recording shares outreach strategies that help connect workers with workforce services and employment opportunities. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners can use the ideas shared to improve recruitment, strengthen employer relationships, and expand awareness of available services among families who may not regularly engage with the workforce system. A PowerPoint presentation and transcript are also provided.

This case study from the Shared-Use Mobility Center shows how a transportation initiative in Oklahoma grew from a pilot project into a long-term service. This resource offers useful lessons for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners who are considering new transportation partnerships or innovative service models. The resource demonstrates how TANF programs and their communities can build sustainable transportation solutions that continue supporting families beyond the initial launch phase.

This resource provides a peer example of transportation support designed to help participants transitioning off of Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to access employment and related activities. It demonstrates how targeted transportation assistance can remove a major barrier to work participation. Tribal TANF practitioners can use the example to explore how transitional transportation services may help participants maintain employment, attend training, and successfully move toward greater self-sufficiency.

This Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility Technical Assistance Center technical assistance resource focuses on transportation coordination for people participating in employment and training programs. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners can use it to identify transportation solutions that support work activities, job training, and career development. By helping TANF programs coordinate across other social services, the resource can improve access to employment opportunities and reduce transportation-related disruptions.

This National Rural Transit Assistance Program webpage offers tools, training, and information for improving transportation services in rural communities. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs, it can help identify strategies for connecting rural participants to jobs, training, childcare, and other essential services. The resource focuses on the unique transportation challenges faced by rural residents and offers practical approaches that can support employment goals.

Many communities have transportation funding available through different programs, but combining those resources effectively can be difficult. This National Rural Transit Assistance Program guide explains best practices for “fund braiding,” or coordinating multiple funding sources, to support transportation services. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs can use it to explore partnerships that expand transportation options, reduce duplication, and maximize available resources.