This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation-funded (OPRE) study illustrates the early implementation of the Ramsey County, Minnesota, Lifelong Learning Initiative (LLI). Research has found that chronic stress associated with living in poverty can hinder executive skills, such as planning, decision-making, and organizing. The LLI uses a goal-oriented approach to help TANF recipients set their own employment-focused goals by breaking them down into more manageable tasks and develop these executive skills as they work toward employment outcomes.

This blog from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, authored by OFA Director Clarence H. Carter, is part of the Self-Sufficiency Series: Solutions from the Field, which profiles local programs from across the country finding solutions to accomplish the goals of encouraging self-sufficiency and personal responsibility, eliminating barriers to economic opportunity, and supporting strong families and healthy marriage. In particular, Circles USA and Open Table are highlighted for their efforts to boost the social capital individuals need to help them work towards self-sufficiency.

This report from Prosperity Now provides information about why creating savings penalties towards welfare programs such as SNAP and SSI actually harm families instead of aiding them. Studies have shown that low-income families with savings are able to more easily handle financial shocks. Most states are in the process of eliminating savings penalties due to the fact that eliminating them reduces administrative costs and caseloads.

This brief provides a graphical overview of selected state policy differences for TANF cash assistance. The Welfare Rules Database (WRD), a database maintained by the Urban Institute and funded by the OPRE and ACF, provides the information for this brief. The paper discusses policies related to initial eligibility, benefit amounts, and ongoing eligibility. Additional information about the resources the WRD offers is also included.

This report from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation is a required annual report to Congress on indicators and predictors of welfare dependence. The report provides data on benefits provided only by Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Supplemental Security Income, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The indicators reported on are mostly current through 2015, and some select indicators are current through 2016; the report summarizes the changes to the data over time.

This blog post from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF) describes how the President’s proposed FY2019 budget request for ACF aims to strengthen the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. High priorities of the Trump Administration are encouraging work, changing the culture of dependence on government assistance, and reducing poverty. The President’s budget hopes to focus on work and support integrated approaches to helping families reach self-sufficiency.

The purpose of this OFA Program Instruction is to transmit the renewed form ACF-202 and instructions for completing that form, which states must use to report caseload reduction information for fiscal year 2018 and thereafter.

This is the page where OFA posts all TANF-related Program Instructions.

The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) updated their Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Policy Brief, addressing the new TANF block grants that have been authorized under a series of short-term extensions. This brief discusses the goals of the reauthorization and provides a summary of recommendations along with brief descriptions of each of the nine recommendations made.

A new question and answer has been posted to the Office of Family Assistance Web site (see Question two of the Q & A: Drug Convictions). This item responds to the question as to whether or not an individual with a felony drug conviction can receive TANF non-assistance services.