Benefits Program: TANF: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
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Funding Programs for Young Parents & Families
This brief provides a summary of potential federal funding sources and programs that can be used to support programs specifically targeted towards young families. While this list is not exhaustive, it highlights major sources that can serve as a starting point for braiding and blending of funding to create comprehensive programming to serve young families.
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COVID Response Project: Lessons Learned from State Adaptation and Federal Flexibilities
The COVID Response Project was funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to document the real-time impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on state human services agencies and capture state perspectives on lessons learned to guide future federal policymaking and state implementation. The project was completed by the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Regional Operations. Insights from the report reflect information obtained through APHSA’s on-going support of state human services agencies’ COVID-19 response efforts as well as a series of in-depth interviews with executive leadership of the 14 state health and human services agencies in ACF’s Region 1 (New England) and Region 4 (Southeast) areas.
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Core Principles for TANF Modernization: A Legislative Framework for TANF Refo
Working with TANF administrators and human services leaders across the country, the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) embraces the call to reimagine how TANF can work in support of the families it serves and has established a set of TANF Modernization Core Principles to guide our vision for the future of TANF. Grounded in these Core Principles, APHSA’s members have laid out a legislative framework to unlock the potential of TANF. We call upon Congress to use this framework as a starting point to build common ground to achieve a TANF reauthorization that promotes a more equitable and prosperous future for all Americans.
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Changes in State TANF Policies in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
This brief examines how state Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs adapted policies during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic to address emerging challenges.
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Using Human-Centered Design to Integrate Benefit Applications
This guide illustrates how agencies can use human-centered-design practices to revise and integrate benefits applications.
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Starting Small with Human-Centered Redesign: Approachable Ideas for State and Local Public Benefits Agencies to Improve Applications, Renewals, and Correspondence
This guide highlights approachable ideas for state and local public benefits agencies to improve applications, renewals, and correspondence. As outlined in this resource, even small improvements can be transformative for residents and caseworkers alike.
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Matching and Verifying Client Data Using Linkages Across Benefit
This resource provides examples and practical guides that explain how to use existing regulations and data sharing agreements to transfer client information or eligibility status between benefit programs.
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Making Integrated Benefits Easy to Access Online and on Mobile Phones
This resource describes how different agencies have updated their systems to increase online and mobile access to benefits information and applications, including using text messages to share benefits information with residents.
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Integrating Renewals and Correspondence
This resource highlights strategies for integrating benefits renewals and correspondence, potentially reducing administrative burdens for both clients and caseworkers.
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Incremental Steps to Integrated Benefits
This guide outlines ideas for launching an integrated benefits application in stages, and strategies to pilot new tools.
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Going Big with Human-Centered Redesign
This guide provides practical insights for benefits administrators on redesigning benefits systems using human-centered design to ensure all eligible residents can access crucial social safety net resources.
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Envisioning a Federal Rules as Code Approach to Public Benefits Eligibility
Digitizing public benefits policy will make the biggest impact for administrators and Americans, but only if it happens at the highest level of government.