Failing to practice self-care habits contributes to the stress caregivers feel and the problems they may experience with their own physical, mental, and emotional health. The likely outcome or consequence for a caregiver who is not taking care of him- or herself is burnout. This blogpost identifies causes of caregiver burnout, how these factors contribute to negative feelings, and how burnout can manifest itself in various ways.

Employers’ role in creating workplace policies and practices and the work environment has increased relevance for low-wage and historically marginalized workers because these persons often work in occupations with greater job and schedule instability and have fewer workplace protections and benefits. This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation brief discusses how employer-based work-family interventions can impact work and non-work outcomes for low-wage workers and their families, reviews select literature on work-family interventions, and provides strategies to engage and encourage employers to participate in studies of work-family interventions.

In 2013, the Office of Family Assistance released Information Memorandum (TANF-ACF-IM-2013-01) “Use of TANF Funds to Serve Homeless Families and Families at Risk of Experiencing Homelessness” in recognition of the integral role TANF can play in family stability. That memorandum highlights the important role TANF can play in helping families experiencing homelessness, offers approaches for using TANF funding, and provides examples of existing state initiatives. To better understand how states and localities are currently using TANF funds to support families experiencing homelessness, the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) funded a study. This brief summarizes different approaches that TANF agencies can pursue to provide housing and other related assistance.

This fact sheet summarizes provisions and key aspects of the Child Tax Credit, Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, and Earned Income Tax Credit. Each of these three tax credits were expanded under the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021 and can be claimed on federal income tax returns by eligible families.

Child protection agencies nationwide are faced with the complex task of determining when children can be safely cared for at home, often with services and supports, and when they may need to be removed from their parents to ensure their safety. This Q & A interview with David Reed of the Indiana Department of Child Services examines how Indiana has used the state’s Title IV-E waiver since 2012 to offer a selection of evidence-based interventions to keep families safely together or reunify them. Beyond the waiver, the federal Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018 supports evidence-informed interventions to help children safely remain at home by meeting families’ service and treatment needs. The interview also notes changes in the contracting process with child protection service providers and how these providers may also teach families how to access resources and apply for TANF and other entitlements under the state’s per-diem model.

This Office of Family Assistance brief is part of a broader study exploring how Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs across the country use TANF funds to serve and support families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. It describes housing-related challenges that families faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, both nationally and in communities visited for this study. The brief also focuses on how the TANF agency in one of these communities, Boulder County, Colorado, responded to families’ housing needs specifically at the beginning of the pandemic. It details the shifts and associated actions Boulder County’s TANF agency took in response to housing challenges posed by the pandemic.

This tip sheet offers providers guidance on being culturally- and trauma-informed while assisting displaced Afghan families. It provides ways to build connection and trust, help maintain and strengthen family relationships, and align the work with child and family goals while using a strength-based approach, and includes several practical strategies to keep in mind while assisting displaced Afghan families.

This Children’s Bureau report presents national data about child abuse and neglect known to child protective services agencies in the United States during federal fiscal year 2020. The report includes data on affected children, fatalities, perpetrators, and services.

The Fathers and Continuous Learning in Child Welfare (FCL) project sought to improve placement stability and permanency outcomes for children by engaging their fathers and paternal relatives. FCL implemented a methodology known as the Breakthrough Series Collaborative, a continuous learning methodology. The second of a three-part series, this podcast reviews strategies implemented in Los Angeles County, California. Topics discussed include the value community organizations provided in Los Angeles County's improvement team, how Los Angeles County's actions and thoughts diminished the importance of fathers and paternal families and the steps the agency took to change its processes and mindsets, and why the improvement team felt it needed the courage to act "intentionally and unapologetically" to implement meaningful change.

This Office of Family Assistance brief discusses the potential for the Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund (PEAF) to support needy families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and by unusually high heating costs this winter. The brief is presented in a question and answer format and addresses:

• Why are energy costs higher than normal? 

• How has COVID-19 impacted energy security for low-income families?

• How can the Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund help?

• How can PEAF be used to help families with energy costs? and

• How can grantees strategically use remaining PEAF allocations along with other federal funds?