The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA) conducted the 2021 National TANF Directors’ Meeting from September 20 - 24, 2021. During this concurrent workshop, panelists explored how Tribal TANF and NEW programs can consider expanding virtual services to motivate participants to pursue opportunities, especially those which may have been previously inaccessible. Speakers discussed a variety of strategies used in the past year to create virtual education and training opportunities and virtual case management services for clients, as well as how these offerings were developed, challenges along the way, witnessed successes, and recommendations for programs considering offering similar resources. This session concluded with a review of OFA’s Coaching for Success eLearning modules, which program staff can use to provide virtual coaching and mentorship to participants.

This brief identifies the strengths and challenges of New Mexico’s TANF system, based on how state and local TANF agencies engage with Hispanic families who apply for TANF cash assistance. The brief draws from a recent survey of TANF program administrators and examines language access, immigration-related issues, and strategies to enhance organizational processes, staffing, and training.

This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation brief presents findings from program participant interviews conducted as part of the State TANF Case Studies project between December 2019 to March 2020. These interviews examined participant background and personal history, past and present employment experiences, program experiences, linkages and use of wraparound services, financial stability and support, and perception and assessment of the program covered by the case study. The brief highlights what participants most appreciated about the programs and how the services offered supported their goals.

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.

This case study covers the Business Link program, housed in New York City’s Human Resources Administration. The program helps participants achieve self-sufficiency by providing job placement and subsidized employment opportunities for TANF cash assistance recipients and other low-income persons. Business Link develops connections with local businesses and helps them recruit, screen, and hire job candidates. The case study details where Business Link operates; whom it serves; what services are provided; how it is organized, staffed, and funded; and how it measures program participation and outcomes. The case study also discusses promising practices and remaining challenges.

This case study profiles Solutions for Change (Solutions), which supports families experiencing homelessness in San Diego County. The Solutions model progresses through a highly structured, three-phase, 1,000-day program. The sequence includes dedicated case management; onsite mental health services; 12-step support groups; unpaid work experience; parenting; employment readiness training classes; and a series of life skills. The case study notes where the Solutions model operates, its background and approach, and whom it serves; what services are provided; how it is organized, staffed, and funded; and how it measures participant progress. The case study also discusses the model’s accomplishments and challenges.

This case study explores the employment programs for youth and services for families, housed at the Community Action Organization (CAO) of Scioto County (Ohio). Highlighting the Comprehensive Case Management and Employment Program (CCMEP) for youth and a behavioral health unit for adults and youth, the case study notes where it operates; what services the Employment and Workforce Division provides; how participants access CAO services; key CAO partners and their roles; how CAO is funded; and future plans to enhance services.