In recent years, there has been a deliberate shift to move our public systems that support child and family well-being upstream. These efforts reflect the growing consensus that true and lasting progress toward a nation where everyone can thrive requires we get to the root of the barriers that keep people and communities from achieving their potential. A foundational building block of this effort is the work happening to advance prevention strategies within child welfare agencies. In this brief, we focus on the challenges and opportunities that the Family First Prevention Services Act (Family First) offers to accelerate the shift toward a prevention-oriented child well-being system.
American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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.
Growing Up NYC is mobile-friendly website that makes it simple for families to learn about and access city programs, as well as services and activities available to New York residents.
This internal glossary defines key terms and concepts related to automating enrollment proofs for public benefits programs to support shared understanding among product and policy teams.
This report presents findings and recommendations from a user experience study based on interviews with 156 participants enrolled in Medicaid and SNAP.
This document is a template for creating a community-based organization (CBO)-facing flyer that explains HR1 work requirements changes and how CBOs can help spread the work and screen SNAP participants and applicants.
American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
This issue brief provides a comprehensive framework for state officials to monitor and evaluate the far-reaching impacts of the H.R.1 budget reconciliation bill on the Medicaid program.
This publication explains the fundamentals of state IEE systems—including the technology, opportunities, risks, and stakeholders involved. It is a resource for state officials, advocates, funders, and tech partners working to implement these systems.
A research brief explaining how work requirements in programs like Medicaid and SNAP reduce coverage, increase administrative costs, and push eligible people deeper into poverty without improving employment outcomes.
This section of the Building Resilience plan outlines strategies to expand access to unemployment insurance (UI) for underserved populations and improve benefit adequacy through system reform, outreach, and data-driven equity efforts.
