Early care and education (ECE) apprenticeship programs provide structured on-the-job learning combined with job-related education or coursework and are viewed as a promising strategy to prepare people for careers in ECE or provide career pathways for the people currently working in ECE. This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation learning agenda offers a strategic approach to develop a portfolio of evidence and learning about the implementation and outcomes of ECE apprenticeship programs. It presents findings from a scan of existing materials and resources on ECE apprenticeships, expert interviews, and discussions at a virtual convening. This resource summarizes what is known about ECE apprenticeships, gaps in the knowledge base, and priorities for future research.

Many human services providers struggle with recruiting and retaining staff due to work-related stress, burnout, low salaries, and lack of benefits. This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation brief describes approaches to overcoming challenges with hiring and retaining staff for human services programs. Leaders of human services programs may find it helpful for strengthening their talent pool.

This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation report explores how employer engagement and job development can be mutually beneficial for programs, participants, and employers. The report provides practical examples and lessons learned about strategies for engaging employers in job development. This resource is written for leaders and staff of employment programs that work with people who face complex challenges to employment.

This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation brief summarizes promising strategies used to hire and support peer support staff. Leaders of human services programs may find it helpful to draw on this information as they are considering hiring peer support staff.

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.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released the new request for applications for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) pilot. The pilot will select up to five states to test innovative approaches aimed at promoting work and reducing government dependency.

The pilot is authorized under the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 and reflects the Administration’s commitment to reshaping welfare programs to encourage employment, personal responsibility, and strong, stable two-parent families. States are encouraged to propose alternative performance measures to the work participation rate that prioritize rapid employment outcomes, earnings progression, and reduced dependency on TANF, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, and other welfare. 

ACF encourages all states and territories to apply. The application period will close at 11:59 PM ET on August 15, 2025. The pilot program for the selected states will begin on October 1, 2025.

Further information on the TANF pilot program can be found on the Office of Family Assistance Fiscal Responsibility Act implementation page. If questions remain, please contact TANFquestions@acf.hhs.gov.