The Office of Family Assistance initiative, “Leveraging America’s Social and Economic Resilience TANF Learning Community” (LASER TLC), supported ten TANF Programs across the country as they worked to address the challenges of human service delivery in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and focused on improving and delivering more responsive services to their TANF families. This document shares Kentucky’s journey during their participation in the 18-month learning community. The site journey conveys how their LASER TLC site team, along with support from their dedicated coaching team and application of the LI2 framework, contributed to developing their action plan and strategizing the implementation of their change agenda to benefit TANF families.

The Office of Family Assistance initiative, “Leveraging America’s Social and Economic Resilience TANF Learning Community” (LASER TLC), supported ten TANF Programs across the country as they worked to address the challenges of human service delivery in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and focused on improving and delivering more responsive services to their TANF families. This document shares North Carolina Work First’s journey during their participation in the 18-month learning community. The site journey conveys how their LASER TLC site team, along with support from their dedicated coaching team and application of the LI2 framework, contributed to developing their action plan and strategizing the implementation of their change agenda to benefit TANF families.

The Office of Family Assistance initiative, “Leveraging America’s Social and Economic Resilience TANF Learning Community” (LASER TLC), supported ten TANF Programs across the country as they worked to address the challenges of human service delivery in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and focused on improving and delivering more responsive services to their TANF families. This document shares the Yurok Tribal TANF Program’s journey during their participation in the 18-month learning community. The site journey conveys how their LASER TLC site team, along with support from their dedicated coaching team and application of the LI2 framework, contributed to developing their action plan and strategizing the implementation of their change agenda to benefit TANF families.

The Office of Family Assistance initiative, “Leveraging America’s Social and Economic Resilience TANF Learning Community” (LASER TLC), supported ten TANF Programs across the country as they worked to address the challenges of human service delivery in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and focused on improving and delivering more responsive services to their TANF families. This document shares Larimer County Colorado Department of Human Services’ journey during their participation in the 18-month learning community. The site journey conveys how their LASER TLC site team, along with support from their dedicated coaching team and application of the LI2 framework, contributed to developing their action plan and strategizing the implementation of their change agenda to benefit TANF families.

The Office of Family Assistance initiative, “Leveraging America’s Social and Economic Resilience TANF Learning Community” (LASER TLC), supported ten TANF Programs across the country as they worked to address the challenges of human service delivery in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and focused on improving and delivering more responsive services to their TANF families. This document shares Pennsylvania’s journey during their participation in the 18-month learning community. The site journey conveys how their LASER TLC site team, along with support from their dedicated coaching team and application of the LI2 framework, contributed to developing their action plan and strategizing the implementation of their change agenda to benefit TANF families.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Strategic Plan includes five strategic goals that support the agency’s mission to promote the economic and social well-being of children, youth, families, individuals, and communities by providing federal leadership, partnership, and resources for the compassionate and effective delivery of human services. Strategic Goal 4 identifies the importance of supporting communities and families to respond to acute needs and facilitate recovery from a range of crises and emergency situations. To support this goal, ACF has developed this resource guide for ACF program staff and grant recipients to support children, youth, and families who are preparing for, responding to, or recovering from an emergency, disaster, or adversity.

This Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) provides information on four programs operated by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) whose funding may be used to provide post-disaster housing assistance following a natural disaster: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and Social Services Block Grant (SSBG). Funds can be used for temporary housing such as motels or hotels, minor home repairs, cooling centers during the day, or short-term rental or mortgage assistance.  A summary chart outlines the benefits, availability of assistance, eligibility, the form of benefits, and contact for more information for the TANF, CSBG, LIHEAP, and SSBG programs. 

This updated Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Emergency and Disaster Waivers and Flexibilities document contains programmatic and administrative information on each ACF program that has emergency waivers and flexibilities. It was developed by the Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response (OHSEPR) in collaboration with ACF Program Offices to emphasize an all-hazards approach; this means the waivers and flexibilities may apply to any potential disaster (e.g., hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires) or public health emergency. Waivers refer to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ dispensations from rules or penalties that can assist grantees in preparing for or responding to an emergency or disaster. Flexibilities refer to authorities available to grantees under existing law or regulation that may be used to provide services or operate their federally funded programs to prepare for or respond to an emergency or disaster. Each program is the final authority on the application of its programs' waivers and flexibilities.

Recent disasters and emerging threats have illuminated the importance of understanding the relationship between disaster displacement and its effect on individuals, households, and communities. The Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response initiated a literature review with the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation to learn about studies on disaster displacement and its impact on human services delivery to inform its policy and operations. This blogpost summarizes the existing literature and available resources on displacement and human services that were identified in a February 2023 report and webinar. The findings can provide useful insights to policymakers, agencies, and organizations that provide human services to people displaced by disasters.

Young people are especially vulnerable to the negative effects of natural disasters, and those who are involved in the child welfare system are at particularly high risk for experiencing disaster-related traumatic stress and other challenges. But when provided with the right types of support, all children and youth have the capacity for resilience and healing. This Child Trends toolkit provides resources that aim to support child welfare staff and administrators in their efforts to enhance state, tribal, territory, and county-led efforts to promote healing and resilience among system-involved children.