This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation report is a quantitative analysis of the “success sequence” as an approach to reduce poverty and improve economic opportunity among adolescents and young adults. (“Success sequence” refers to a series of milestones associated with escaping poverty and joining the middle class: high school completion, full-time employment, and waiting for marriage to have children.) The report uses longitudinal data to evaluate the order and combination of milestones and to assess the associations between completing the success sequence milestones by the age of 30 and economic self-sufficiency and family stability outcomes in the late 30s.

This research brief presents findings from a fall 2020 survey of parents in Maryland on child care needs, access to child care, continuity of care, and child care costs for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children during the COVID-19 pandemic. This survey was conducted with families who received child care scholarships and families with children enrolled with a licensed child care provider. The survey defined “continuity of care” for young children as child care with the same provider before and during the COVID-19 pandemic; “continuity of care” has been associated with decreased parental and caregiver stress and stronger family-caregiver relationships.

This set of briefs, organized by region and all 50 states and the District of Columbia, uses Census Household Pulse survey data to illustrate Child Tax Credit (CTC) receipt, payment usage, and changes in food security for families after the CTC payment was received. The survey was conducted between July 21 and August 16, 2021 when the first two CTC payments were deposited into families’ bank accounts.

This brief illustrates the delivery of Procedural Justice-Informed Alternatives to Contempt (PJAC) services from the perspective of case managers in six child support agencies. Procedural justice, a process-oriented model for dispute resolution, suggests that if people perceive fairness in the process, there will more likely be compliance with the outcome of the process, regardless of whether the outcome is favorable. Integrating this model into six child support agencies across the United States, the PJAC demonstration project supports noncustodial parents who are referred to the legal system for civil contempt of court and have not met child support obligations. PJAC services are used to address the reasons for nonpayment, improve the consistency in making payments, and support positive engagement with the child support agency and the custodial parent.

This report is a formative evaluation of two employment programs targeting young people who are aging out of the foster care system: iFoster Jobs in Los Angeles County and Mentoring Youth to Inspire Meaningful Employment (MY TIME) in Chicago. Key questions addressed in the report include do the programs operate in keeping with their logic models, who do the programs serve, are the program goals attained, what are the programs’ successes and challenges, and do the programs have the potential for future rigorous evaluation.

This toolkit presents a systematic approach for utilizing human-centered design and behavioral science to develop solutions to problems tied to participant engagement and participation at state SNAP E&T programs. The toolkit focuses on addressing four key engagement problems: 1) first contact (getting individuals interested in SNAP E&T when initially contacting the SNAP agency); 2) service matching (reflecting assessment and referrals of SNAP participants to E&T services and providers); 3) handoffs and navigation between agencies; and 4) reverse referrals (engaging potential SNAP participants in eligibility through E&T providers rather than through SNAP agencies). Also included in the toolkit are examples and worksheets to help SNAP agencies and partners utilize this systematic approach.

This case study describes how the Rhode Island Department of Human Services’ Rhode Island Works (RI Works) helps TANF recipients overcome barriers to workforce success before beginning their job searches. The case study overviews RI Works and presents its key features: where the program operates; how it is administered; how TANF participants experience the program; and the ways that RI Works uses data. Also highlighted are the program’s accomplishments and remaining challenges after its 2018 redesign.

This case study covers the New Moms program, which offers job training, housing, and family support programs to pregnant and parenting young women and their children in Chicago and its near western suburbs. The case study illustrates the New Moms model and presents its key features: what services are offered; how the model is organized, staffed, and funded; and how New Moms measures program participation and outcomes. The case study also highlights promising practices, challenges, and lessons learned.

This case study profiles Kentucky’s Targeted Assessment Program (TAP), which provides comprehensive assessment and intensive case management for parents in the state’s child welfare and TANF systems. The program’s goals are to support participants in overcoming barriers to self-sufficiency and family safety with a focus on mental health, substance use, intimate partner violence, and learning disabilities or deficits in 35 counties statewide. The case study also notes services provided by TAP; how the program manages staffing, communication, and funding; and how program participation and outcomes are measured. The case study also highlights TAP’s promising approaches, challenges, and future plans.

(See also Resources on "domestic violence" in the Resource Library)

This case study describes the Family Assessment Centers (FACs), which provide emergency shelters for families experiencing homelessness in Honolulu, Hawaii. The FACs represent an initial initiative under the `Ohana Nui service delivery framework, which is used across the Hawaii Department of Human Services (DHS) to support multigenerational families. The case study covers this program in detail, including where FACs operate and their context; what FACs offer; whom FACs serve; how they are staffed and funded; what services are provided by FACs; and how FACs measure program participation and outcomes. The case study also highlights accomplishments, challenges, and future plans.