The ACF Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network coordinated this workshop on behalf of the ACF Region II office, the Administration for Socioeconomic Development, Department of the Family, Santurce, Puerto Rico, and the Department of Human Services of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The purpose of this two day technical assistance event was to present promising strategies and lessons learned from other states and local agencies regarding pre and post employment support for TANF participants, and to identify possible areas where they could be applied within Puerto Rico’s system.

The Welfare Peer Technical Assistance (TA) Network, funded by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) assisted the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) in the planning and coordination of this workshop involving select representatives from sixteen Service Delivery Areas (SDAs), various workforce investment boards, several community colleges, employers, and key individuals from various private welfare service organizations from around the state of Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Department of Labor and Workforce Development also participated along with representatives from the DOL Region I office.

The ACF Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network, funded by the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance, coordinated this one day workshop presentation by Ms. Toby Herr, the Founder of Project Match. Ms. Herr provided an in-depth description of the Pathways System developed through Project Match. This workshop was the result of a collaborative effort between the Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network and the New England Promising Practices Workgroup. The technical assistance event was a multi-state workshop with a focus on providing participants with a thorough understanding of the Pathways System philosophy and approach to serving a large and diverse welfare population with serious or multiple barriers to employment and self-sufficiency.

The Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network coordinated a site visit for staff members from the Virgin Islands' Department of Human Services and Department of Labor to collaborate on TANF time limit preparedness strategies and post time limit strategies. The report addresses work participation rate issues, strategies for job development, placement, and retention for TANF recipients.