New federal efforts like A Home for Every Child, updated CFSRs, and emerging performance dashboards signal a shift in direction that raises new questions about how systems can better support children, families, and the workforce. At the center of the conversation is a shared goal: helping every child grow up in a safe, stable home. The American Public Human Services Association will host a webinar on April 9, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. ET to discuss what this evolving landscape means in practice.

This Institute for Family Studies report examines the challenges many parents face in balancing economic pressures, caregiving responsibilities, and overall well-being. Findings highlight how financial stress, limited supports, and caregiving demands can affect family stability and long-term outcomes. For TANF programs, the report reinforces the importance of two-generation strategies that address both parental needs and child well-being, ensuring that supports such as child care, employment services, and mental health resources are aligned to strengthen the entire family unit.

This Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network resource highlights how collocating social services directly within community settings can reduce barriers to access and improve engagement among families. By embedding supports where families already live or receive services, programs can increase participation and streamline referrals across systems. For TANF programs, onsite service models offer a practical strategy to strengthen coordination with workforce and human services partners, helping families more easily access the full range of supports needed for employment and stability.

This program profile from the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network highlights how Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest supports kinship caregivers through navigation services, resource connections, and community-based supports. The model demonstrates how coordinated services can help stabilize kinship placements and improve outcomes for children and caregivers. TANF programs can draw lessons from this approach to strengthen partnerships and better support relatives caring for children outside the traditional foster care system.

Generations United will host a webinar on March 26, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. ET to highlight lessons from communities that have developed shared intergenerational sites where programs serving children and older adults operate together. The session will explore how these models strengthen community connections, support caregivers, and create meaningful engagement opportunities across generations.

A new brief from Child Trends examines how partnerships between public agencies and private organizations can help identify and support kinship placements for children in foster care. The report highlights strategies that strengthen collaboration and expand support for relatives caring for children. TANF programs may find these insights useful when working with community partners to support kin caregivers, improve service coordination, and promote family stability.

Kinship caregivers often face challenges navigating benefits, services, and legal supports. This Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network profile highlights how the Educational and Treatment Council Family Resource Center in southwest Louisiana operates a Kinship Navigator program to connect caregivers with critical resources and supports. TANF programs can draw lessons from this model to strengthen referrals, improve service coordination, and ensure kinship families are aware of the economic and community supports available to them.

Rural communities are developing creative approaches to bring older adults and youth together through shared spaces and intergenerational programming. This Generations United resource highlights examples of programs that foster mentorship, caregiving support, and community connection across generations. TANF agencies working in rural areas may find these models useful for strengthening local partnerships, supporting caregivers, and creating opportunities for families to build supportive community networks.

Coordinating services across multiple public benefit programs can significantly improve how families access supports and navigate human services systems. This toolkit, funded by the Administration for Children and Families, was designed to help state and local agencies better align programs and services to support whole families.

The resource provides practical tools and structured guidance for identifying coordination challenges, developing shared goals across agencies, implementing cross-program strategies, and tracking progress over time. By helping agencies move away from siloed service delivery and toward integrated approaches, the toolkit aims to reduce administrative barriers, improve the experiences families have when seeking multiple benefits, and strengthen outcomes for children and parents. For TANF programs, these strategies can support stronger coordination with programs such as workforce services, SNAP, childcare, and child welfare — helping families access the full range of supports needed to achieve long-term stability and economic mobility.

The Generations United Intergenerational Program Database provides a searchable collection of programs that bring multiple generations together for shared learning, caregiving, and community engagement. TANF programs and their child welfare partners can explore program models that support child development, strengthen family support networks, and reduce isolation among caregivers.