When Coloradans get their ballots in the mail this fall, they could potentially vote on two measures that would have disastrous consequences for Colorado kids and families if passed. Initiatives 108 and 50 would dramatically limit the resources available for critical services and programs that support children and their families at the state and…

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps people with low incomes avoid hunger and afford food. It stimulates the economy, improves individuals' success at school and work, and promotes better health. SNAP's Employment and Training (E&T) program is designed to assist participants in gaining skills, training, or work experience…

New Mexico is home to nearly 70,000 infants and toddlers. New Mexico families are the state's strongest asset, yet current policies aren't meeting their needs. Children's growth and development are shaped by early life experiences. Good health, secure and stable families, and positive early learning environments foster children's physical,…

The Newark Opportunity Youth Network (NOYN) contracted with the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the youth workforce development system within the state. The study documents how the youth workforce system developed in New Jersey since the federal…

Earning a college degree has long been critical to unlocking many high-paying jobs -- and, as a result, to economic mobility and security. Increasingly, however, the traditional "norm" of a college student--one who enrolls straight out of high school, receives some support from their parents, lives on campus, and does not have…

The California Budget Act of 2012, through a trailer bill known as Senate Bill (SB) 1041, contained significant reforms to the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program. CalWORKs is California's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, a central component of the safety net that provides cash aid for…

Community colleges are mission-driven institutions committed to access and community needs. They serve a diverse population: The majority of students are employed, so they have to balance work with school; about one-third are first-generation, so they are navigating an unfamiliar system for the first time in their families; and 15% are single…

The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), in collaboration with the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), submits this report to detail the status of overpayments in the Child Care Subsidy Programs (CCSP). This annual report complies with Substitute Senate Bill (SSB) 5883, Section…

Approximately 3.6 million young Americans ages 18-24 are raising children, and another 900,000 in the same age range are non-custodial parents. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, many young parents faced significant challenges in balancing their jobs and child-rearing responsibilities with efforts to build additional skills and advance in their…

In the 2016 General Session, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 101, High Quality School Readiness Program Expansion, which expanded access to high quality school readiness programs for eligible students. This program was funded with $120,000 ongoing from the Education Fund for program administration and $9.0 million in Temporary Assistance for…

Nebraska's Employment First (EF) program allows parents who receive TANF cash assistance to pursue education and training that improves their ability to secure employment and long-term economic success. A parent must negotiate and sign an Employment First contract, facilitated by a case worker, between the participating parent and the state of…

Dramatic shifts from cash assistance to work, embodied in the 1996 replacement of Aid to Families with Dependent Children with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), highlight the need to understand how current cash assistance recipients participate in required work-related activities and obstacles faced in getting and keeping jobs. The…

Though New York City's welfare reform act claims to emphasize personal responsibility, its design diminishes the possibility of sustained, meaningful employment or long-term economic stability for substantial numbers of Temporary Assistance for Needy Family recipients. By focusing on gaining employment, the act ignores well-established avenues to…

In the last decade, caseloads in Aid to Families with Dependent Children and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families have shifted dramatically up, then down. Existing studies do not explain the changes well or reveal policies behind the fluctuations or the important role of government quality in shaping welfare reform. This study uses…

This report provides policymakers with information necessary to demonstrate that postsecondary education is an effective route from poverty to true self-sufficiency and prosperity for low-income women. It discusses the impact of the 1996 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) statute and the TANF reauthorization bill, the Personal…