Resource Format: Policy Brief
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Unpacking Data Use in State TANF Agencies: Insights from the TANF Data Innovation Needs Assessment
Policymakers, program administrators, federal leaders, researchers, and advocates are increasingly focused on using administrative data to build evidence for improving government programs. Achieving this goal requires accessible data sources and the capacity to use them, yet stakeholders have little information about the baseline level of state capacity in these areas. How does one measure concepts such as “effective data use” and “analytic capacity?” This brief reports findings from a pioneering and comprehensive needs assessment that examined the capacity of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs in 54 U.S. states and territories to analyze data used for program improvement, monitoring, and evidence-building. The needs assessment provides a foundation for technical assistance and continued improvement for the TANF program and may also provide valuable insights and frameworks for other state-administered human services programs.
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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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Democratizing AI: Principles for Meaningful Public Participation
In this policy brief and video, Michele Gilman summarizes evidence-based recommendations for better structuring public participation processes for AI, and underscores the urgency of enacting them.
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Streamlining SNAP for the Gig Economy
This issue brief explores how states can leverage existing policy to better support self-employed workers.
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Reimagining a U.S. Benefits System That Supports All Workers: Five Key Takeaways from Public and Private Benefit Leaders
This report highlights 5 key takeaways from the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program's 2022 Benefits Forum, where 55 experts from various sectors discussed solutions for improving public and private benefits to better support workers and their families.
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Better Data Sharing for Benefits Delivery
This policy brief outlines how improved data sharing between federal agencies, state and local governments, and institutions can leverage existing data from other benefits programs to streamline eligibility processes and benefits uptake for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and other programs.
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Harnessing Data and Technology to Construct a Human Services System that Supports Thriving and Equitable Communities
APHSA explains how certain tools and recommendations about when people apply for help, engage in services, and maintain benefits can have a powerful effect to either counter or exacerbate structural barriers to accessing assistance.
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Use of Advanced Automation in SNAP: Feb 2025 Revision
This 2025 memo outlines updated guidelines for state agencies' use of advanced automation in SNAP administration.
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Improving Maternal Health and Well-Being through Medicaid/CHIP Postpartum Coverage Extensions
This policy brief outlines how extending postpartum Medicaid and CHIP coverage can improve maternal health outcomes, reduce disparities, and strengthen continuity of care during the critical first year after childbirth.
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Human Services Work Requirement Crosswalk as Impacted by the Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA/H.R. 1)
This crosswalk compares provisions in H.R. 1 with existing human services policies, focusing on how proposed federal work requirements could affect programs like TANF, SNAP, and Medicaid.
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Best Practices for SNAP Telephonic Signatures
Telephonic signatures simplify SNAP applications and recertifications, reducing administrative burdens and improving access.
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Effective Strategies to Collect Address Changes from Medicaid Beneficiaries via State Websites
As a part of Benefit Data Trust (BDT)’s Medicaid Churn Learning Collaborative, BDT has created a memo describing strategies for states to collect current mailing addresses of Medicaid beneficiaries in advance of the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement — in effect under the federal public health emergency — unwinding.