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 were encouraged to propose alternative performance measures to the work participation rate that prioritize rapid employment outcomes, earnings progression, and reduced dependency on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, and other welfare. 

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services selected Arizona, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, and Virginia to participate in the redesigned TANF pilot. These states were chosen from a strong applicant pool to develop models and metrics other states can replicate to help families achieve self-sufficiency. In addition to concretely tracking employment and earnings, pilot states will pursue the following strategies to reduce dependency:

• Arizona will engage directly with employers that have vacancies for in-demand, well-paying positions to directly connect TANF participants with quality, sustainable employment.
• Iowa will improve referral coordination across services, enhance the quality of information available to TANF participants through financial literacy and decision-making tools, and build partnerships with employers to create employment and matched savings opportunities.
• Nebraska, in partnership with community organizations, colleges, and businesses, will develop personalized pathways for TANF participants to strengthen connections to local jobs. Pathways will include referrals to Nebraska’s TANF-funded Fatherhood and Healthy Marriage Initiative.
• Ohio will implement a personalized “well-being assessment” for TANF participants, which will include intensive case management services, financial literacy training, and support for counties to build community capacity.
• Virginia will establish Personalized Results Plans for TANF participants to build upon the success of the Career Pathway Pilot, which blends sector-based training, intensive case management, and employment engagement to support participants as they gain credentials in fields like health care and skilled trades.

The TANF pilot program officially launches on October 1, 2025.

This webpage highlights the announcement of the new vision, mission, values, priorities, and guiding principles for the Administration of Children and Families. The webpage outlines the values and offers resources that highlight exemplary practices for each.

WorkforceGPS will host a webinar on September 25, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. ET to walk through tools and curricula that address barriers to employment for people with a criminal record and will provide the foundation for a successful job search. Presenters will offer resources to help customers explore career options, build a long-term future with training and credentials, and locate the support they may need for their reentry process.

During their work in multiple states, the Foster Insights team at the University of Chicago observed notable trends in kin placement rates and the stability of kin placements. The Grandfamilies and Kinship Support Network hosted a webinar on September 29, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. ET to share these observed trends and discuss their implications for stakeholders across the child welfare space. There was a discussion on what could be learned about kinship families using placement data, and how these data-driven insights could help further the case for a kinship-first culture.

The American Public Human Services Association has released a three-part series on the use of Artificial Intelligence in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) case processing. This brief examines customer experience, potential risk, and the importance of human oversight through the lens of perspectives shared by SNAP customers.

The American Public Human Services Association will release a three-part series on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) case processing. This brief details the rapidly changing policy landscape surrounding the use of AI in SNAP and explores potential enabling policy actions to support this use.

Kinship families interact with many systems, including child welfare, education/schools, housing, Medicaid/Medicare, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Dealing with multiple systems is time-consuming and emotionally draining. TANF child-only grants are often the only source of ongoing financial support for these families. This Grandfamilies and Kinship Support Network resource outlines how TANF programs can help these families by facilitating or participating in cross-system collaboration and coordination while helping individual families navigate the challenging landscape.

Kinship families interact with many systems, including child welfare, education/schools, housing, Medicaid/Medicare, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Dealing with multiple systems is time-consuming and emotionally draining. Family Resource Centers (FRCs) can help by supporting individual families as they navigate this challenging landscape. This Grandfamilies and Kinship Support Network resource outlines how FRCs can serve as welcoming hubs of supports, services, and opportunities for families as they are well-positioned to assist kinship families and grandfamilies.

To help address diaper need and increase economic security for families, the Office of Community Services in the Administration for Children and Families, in partnership with the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), launched the Diaper Distribution Demonstration and Research Pilot (Diaper Distribution Pilot) in September 2022. This pilot provides grants to expand diaper distribution programs using networks of community partners. In addition to providing diapers and diapering supplies such as ointment and wipes, these programs offer to connect families to wraparound services such as job training, educational support, and Head Start.

This OPRE brief describes early findings on how grant recipients and subrecipients from the first two cohorts of the Diaper Distribution Pilot obtain diapers and diapering supplies. It can be used by organizations designing diaper distribution programs to guide planning and decision making.

Without enough diapers, children are at risk of serious health problems like rashes and infections, and parents may miss work or school, undermining family stability and economic mobility. Federal programs that help families purchase food and nutrition supports and provide cash assistance in times of need, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), do not cover diapers, requiring parents to pay high out-of-pocket prices. This Urban Institute tool shows how many diapers it would take to fill the gap faced by families with low-to-moderate incomes in a given county.