As part of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) of 2023, all states are required to submit the Secondary School Diploma or its Recognized Equivalent Attainment Rate report annually, with the first report due on November 14, 2027. This outcome measure is intended to assist federal and state policymakers to better understand the effectiveness of TANF programs in promoting successful education credential attainment. States have some flexibility in determining the data sources used to create this report. However, when collecting or sharing school records, education organizations must adhere to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requirements and any additional state privacy laws.

This fact sheet provides an overview of FERPA, describes different options for collecting school records, and includes additional resources.

This webpage highlights the announcement of the new vision, mission, values, priorities, and guiding principles for the Administration of Children and Families. The webpage outlines the values and offers resources that highlight exemplary practices for each.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is requesting a 3-year extension of the form ACF-202: Caseload Reduction Report. There are substantive changes requested to the instructions and form. ACF is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the information collection described above, due October 14, 2025.

This notice outlines changes requested by ACF and the information they are requesting from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) agencies.

The Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) requires states and territories to report secondary school attainment outcomes for TANF recipients. Although this information may be available from administrative data sources, some states or recipients may find it necessary to gather data through surveys. This resource offers helpful guidelines and tips to improve survey response rates.

This resource is designed to support state and territory agencies in successfully understanding, preparing, and submitting the required Work Outcomes of TANF Exiters Report (quarterly), the required Secondary School Diploma or its Recognized Equivalent Attainment Rate (annually), and the optional Supplemental Work Outcomes Report (annually).

The resource includes background on the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, the measures, applicable definitions, and reporting requirements.

The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA) includes several key changes to TANF, including a reset of the base year for the caseload reduction credit (CRC) component of the work participation rate (WPR) calculation. Additionally, the law requires HHS to exclude from the WPR calculations certain cases that receive benefits of less than $35 per month. Both changes go into effect October 1, 2025.

The Office of Family Assistance (OFA) hosted a virtual information-sharing session with federal program staff on August 6, 2025. They provided a presentation on Sections 301 and 303 of the FRA and the impact each may have on TANF programs. State TANF program officials were encouraged to participate in this forum to receive guidance on meeting the requirements of Sections 301 and 303.

The Office of Family Assistance’s TANF Outcomes Technical Assistance and Logistics (TOTAL) team delivers training and technical assistance to state TANF programs and partners responding to the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA). The team hosted their July office hours on July 31, 2025 to review the best practices and tools for collecting education outcome data for FRA reporting. The discussion included data collection through self-attestation and how TANF programs may implement this method for reporting on secondary school outcomes of TANF recipients and exiters.

On July 10, 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a significant policy shift to restore compliance with federal law and ensure that taxpayer-funded program benefits, intended for the American people, are not diverted to subsidize illegal aliens. HHS has formally rescinded a 1998 interpretation of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), which had extended certain federal public benefits to illegal aliens. This new policy applies PRWORA’s plain-language definition of “Federal public benefit,” reverses outdated exclusions, affirms that programs serving individuals, households, or families are subject to eligibility restrictions, and clarifies that no HHS programs have been formally exempted under PRWORA’s limited exceptions.

The revised list newly includes all programs now classified as “Federal public benefits” under PRWORA:

• Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics
• Community Mental Health Services Block Grant
• Community Services Block Grant (CSBG)
• Head Start
• Health Center Program
• Health Workforce Programs not otherwise previously covered (including grants, loans, scholarships, payments, and loan repayments)
• Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Prevention, and Recovery Support Services Programs administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness Grant Program
• Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant
• Title IV-E Educational and Training Voucher Program
• Title IV-E Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program
• Title IV-E Prevention Services Program
• Title X Family Planning Program

The above list is not exhaustive. Any additional programs determined to be Federal public benefits will be announced in program specific guidance.

On March 24, 2025, the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Administration for Children and Families shared a letter with TANF Administrators to ensure TANF agencies are aligned with Executive Order 14218 “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders” and are not providing federal public benefits to illegal aliens, per statutory requirements. In this Information Memorandum, the Office of Family Assistance provides additional details on the applicable laws and enforcement mechanisms regarding restrictions on federal public benefits for non-qualified aliens.