This Pathways to Work Evidence Clearinghouse snapshot describes the effectiveness of programs that were identified as using education as their primary service. It summarizes these programs and their impacts so Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and other program administrators, policymakers, researchers, and the general public can apply the evidence to their context and the questions that matter to them.

This Department of Labor resource provides actionable strategies to boost employment outcomes by aligning and maximizing services and funding resources. Blending, braiding, and sequencing enables TANF front-line staff to partner with state and local workforce partners, creating a collaborative approach to employment support that leverages funding streams and services. The webpage and FAQ provide strategies designed to ensure participants in the workforce system have access to a broader range of coordinated resources and services, helping to create a more seamless and supportive pathway toward long-term employment success.

For more information, please contact Yvonne Wright at ywright@ndi-inc.org. 

This National Center on Leadership for the Employment and Economic Advancement of People with Disabilities (LEAD Center) tool provides TANF front-line staff with access to a directory of each state’s agencies for labor, health, vocational rehabilitation, mental and behavioral health, developmental disabilities, and other relevant agencies. With easy navigation, users can select any state to explore its executive orders, state legislation, policies, programs, initiatives and state plans that support workforce inclusion and equal opportunities for people with disabilities to achieve competitive integrated employment outcomes. 

For more information, please contact Yvonne Wright at ywright@ndi-inc.org.

This 2024 National Fatherhood Summit workshop shared the story of the Michigan Action Plan for Father Involvement (MAP-FI) and the collaboration between fatherhood practitioners and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. MAP-FI is a model for other locations interested in expanding support for father involvement and establishing permanent structures that support policies and programs benefiting fathers and their families. This session offered ideas and guidance about how to create similar coalitions in other localities, what initiatives these coalitions can take on, and the impact and importance of bringing these groups together.

Based on input from state TANF programs during the 2023 National TANF Directors’ Meeting, the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) developed five virtual Learning Collaboratives (LCs) on topics best addressed through a cohort-based, peer learning format. These LCs were designed to be a progressive series of interactive meetings that facilitated reflection, peer sharing, connection with experts, and human-centered design and planning activities to deeply explore facets of the collaborative topic. Sessions were held monthly from March to August 2024 for 60-90 minutes.

The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA) has prompted states to think about how they track employment and other TANF program outcomes. The Creating Outcomes-based TANF Programs LC was designed to guide states through a collaborative learning journey focused on reporting on employment and other outcomes in light of the new FRA requirements. Participants worked to better understand what it means to focus on outcomes, and what successful outcomes look like for the families they serve. Participating states and territories included New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, North Carolina, Minnesota, Louisiana, New Mexico, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Utah.

This OFA resource highlights the Creating Outcomes-based TANF Programs LC, including key takeaways and resources from each session as well as overall themes and future considerations for follow-up.

The Office of Family Assistance and Children’s Bureau’s initiative, “Families Are Stronger Together Learning Community” (FAST-LC), supported ten TANF and child welfare programs across the country as they worked to promote innovative prevention strategies to mitigate and reduce families’ involvement with the child welfare system through partnerships between TANF and Child Welfare programs. The FAST-LC Site Journeys capture and convey the participating states’ and tribes’ motivation for change, the partnership and prevention innovations they developed and implemented, and the lessons they learned from their journey experiences. This site journey features West Virginia’s FAST-LC story.

The Office of Family Assistance and Children’s Bureau’s initiative, “Families Are Stronger Together Learning Community” (FAST-LC), supported ten TANF and child welfare programs across the country as they worked to promote innovative prevention strategies to mitigate and reduce families’ involvement with the child welfare system through partnerships between TANF and Child Welfare programs. The FAST-LC Site Journeys capture and convey the participating states’ and tribes’ motivation for change, the partnership and prevention innovations they developed and implemented, and the lessons they learned from their journey experiences. This site journey features Oregon’s FAST-LC story.

The Office of Family Assistance and Children’s Bureau’s initiative, “Families Are Stronger Together Learning Community” (FAST-LC), supported ten TANF and child welfare programs across the country as they worked to promote innovative prevention strategies to mitigate and reduce families’ involvement with the child welfare system through partnerships between TANF and Child Welfare programs. The FAST-LC Site Journeys capture and convey the participating states’ and tribes’ motivation for change, the partnership and prevention innovations they developed and implemented, and the lessons they learned from their journey experiences. This site journey features Michigan’s FAST-LC story.

The Office of Family Assistance and Children’s Bureau’s initiative, “Families Are Stronger Together Learning Community” (FAST-LC), supported ten TANF and child welfare programs across the country as they worked to promote innovative prevention strategies to mitigate and reduce families’ involvement with the child welfare system through partnerships between TANF and Child Welfare programs. The FAST-LC Site Journeys capture and convey the participating states’ and tribes’ motivation for change, the partnership and prevention innovations they developed and implemented, and the lessons they learned from their journey experiences. This site journey features Kentucky’s FAST-LC story.

The Office of Family Assistance and Children’s Bureau’s initiative, “Families Are Stronger Together Learning Community” (FAST-LC), supported ten TANF and child welfare programs across the country as they worked to promote innovative prevention strategies to mitigate and reduce families’ involvement with the child welfare system through partnerships between TANF and Child Welfare programs. The FAST-LC Site Journeys capture and convey the participating states’ and tribes’ motivation for change, the partnership and prevention innovations they developed and implemented, and the lessons they learned from their journey experiences. This site journey features Iowa’s FAST-LC story.