Too often, accessing public benefits requires families to travel to offices during business hours, wait in long lines, and navigate systems that were designed around administrative convenience rather than client need. The San Francisco Human Services Agency decided to try something different. Their Mobile Benefits Center was built around a simple idea of bringing human services directly to communities that face barriers getting to agency buildings and was designed in close partnership with clients of different ages, backgrounds, and experiences, as well as frontline staff and community partners. This American Public Human Services Association practical case study covers what it means to design with communities rather than for them. It raises important questions worth asking about your own Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program: Where are clients actually located? What barriers are we asking them to overcome before they even walk in the door? And what would it look like to meet them there instead?

To increase participant engagement, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs must create and offer programming that reflects community needs. This Chapin Hall resources describes how New Mexico strengthened their vital services across the state by drawing on local input. Researchers from Chapin Hall and the Anna, Age Eight Institute conducted town halls and focus groups in seven counties with providers and residents to gather firsthand accounts of barriers preventing families from accessing medical care, childcare, housing, food, transportation, and behavioral health services. Residents described systems that were fragmented, under-resourced, and difficult to navigate, and reported staff interactions that increased their feelings of shame and stigma while seeking help. For TANF practitioners, this report is both a mirror and a roadmap. It reflects what families across the country commonly experience, and it offers concrete, community-generated solutions. It is also a strong model for how to conduct meaningful community listening, a skill all TANF program staff can use as they work to improve client engagement and outcomes.

Young people aging out of foster care may face a stark reality. They leave the system at 18 with little financial cushion and few of the family safety nets on which most young adults rely. To address this, federal guidance has been issued by the Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of the Treasury enabling state, territorial, and Tribal child welfare agencies to open dedicated savings and investment accounts called “Fostering the Future Accounts” for children and youth in their care. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, this is a critical moment to understand how these accounts fit into the broader picture of economic security for families you serve. Youth in or aging out of foster care are a population TANF programs frequently encounter; understanding how to help youth access and benefit from this new financial tool will position your program to be a more informed connector of services.

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 intervention, providing income support, employment services, and family stability before situations escalate.

The Administration for Children and Families has now added new evidence-based interventions to the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse, a federal list of proven programs states can fund to keep families together and reduce unnecessary foster care entries. For TANF practitioners, this resource signals where federal child welfare investment is heading and opens opportunities to align TANF-funded services with approved prevention strategies. If your agency is already providing parenting support, substance use navigation, or family counseling, these new interventions may mean new pathways to coordinate funding and recognition for that work.

Benefit cliffs can create difficult choices for families as earnings increase and public assistance begins to phase out. The American Public Human Services Association will host a webinar on June 22, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. ET to explore strategies for helping families navigate these transitions while continuing to build financial stability. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs, the discussion will provide valuable perspectives on how policies, program design, and service delivery can support economic mobility without creating unintended barriers. TANF practitioners can use the information to better understand participant experiences and identify approaches that help families move forward with confidence.

Families involved with both the child welfare and child support systems often face financial pressures that can affect reunification efforts. This Institute for Research on Poverty report examines how child support policies may influence a family's ability to reunify after foster care placement. While focused on system interactions, the findings provide valuable context for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners who support families working toward greater stability and self-sufficiency. Understanding these economic challenges can help TANF staff better coordinate services, identify barriers families may be facing, and connect parents with resources that support successful reunification.

Many children in rural communities are being raised by grandparents or other relatives, yet these caregivers often face unique challenges accessing services and support. This Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network guide highlights strategies for reaching and engaging kinship and grandfamilies, helping practitioners better understand the barriers these families may encounter. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs, the resource offers practical ideas for connecting families to benefits, strengthening family stability, and ensuring caregivers know where to turn for assistance. It can help TANF staff identify gaps in outreach and develop approaches that better meet the needs of rural families.

The most effective father-engagement programs listen, adapt, and improve over time. The Fathers and Continuous Learning project explored exactly that, and researched how organizations can build feedback loops so they're learning from fathers' experiences rather than guessing what they need. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families programs, this is a model worth considering. Asking fathers what is working versus what is not and what they need, and then acting on those answers, is one of the most powerful things a program can do to increase engagement and improve outcomes for the whole family.

Many fathers enter child welfare involvement feeling confused, sidelined, or even afraid. They may not know their rights, aren't sure who to talk to, or don't understand how their involvement, or lack of it, affects their child's case. This Child Welfare Information Gateway resource was written for fathers to help them find their footing. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners can share it as a first step in building trust with a father who is uncertain about his role. When fathers understand the social services (TANF, child welfare, etc.) system, they are better equipped to show up, and when they show up, families have a stronger foundation for lasting stability.

Saying "fathers are welcome" is not the same as actually engaging them. This toolkit from the University of California, Davis offers concrete activities and approaches that help social services organizations make fathers feel like genuine partners, not afterthoughts. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs can use it to audit their current practices, spot the gaps, and try new strategies for outreach and involvement. The toolkit is especially useful for TANF teams who want to be more father-inclusive but aren't sure where to start. It turns intentions into practical steps.