Employment Supports/Asset Building

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General Topic

How are other states spending money for support services for TANF applicants, and the federal regulations that allow for this spending? (Date submitted: 02/13/2007)  (0 responses)
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What strategies are other States using for partnering with community organizations that provide free financial literacy services to TANF clients? (Date submitted: 12/14/2006)  (0 responses)
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What states currently, or plan to, consider TANF participants in a countable work activity if they are providing childcare for the child of another TANF participant engaged in unpaid work activities? (Date submitted: 10/20/2006)  (1 response)
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Does your State TANF agency utilize card technology to issue supportive services to participants of the TANF work program/welfare to work activities? (Date submitted: 03/01/2005)  (2 responses)
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Arizona is considering mandating that some supportive services be issued to participants as incentives for participation for supportive services that are common to all participants, such as, clothing allowances. Are there any other states that are offering any type of support or service to participants as an incentive for continued participation other than monies pertaining to employment retention? (Date submitted: 01/05/2005)  (1 response)
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I will like to know which cities in the United States are the most successful in helping two parent TANF recipient families become self sufficient. Also will like to know what are they doing to successfully, timely and cost-effectively help them. (Date submitted: 07/11/2003)  (2 responses)
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How many states have a General Assistance Program or a State Disability Program? (Date submitted: 11/20/2001)  (2 responses)
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Is anyone aware of any State initiatives under TANF to bridge the digital divide? (Date submitted: 10/18/2001)  (1 response)
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New Jersey is establishing a food bank benefit consisting of a three day supply of groceries with TANF funds for families whose income is below 250% of the State's poverty level. Their concerns are that the benefit not be considered assistance, and that monitoring of usage to preclude recurrent use will present an administrative burden that will discourage contractors from joining the program. The non-recurrent, short-term benefit exclusion to the definition of assistance requires that the benefit is not intended to meet recurrent needs. This implies that a State should monitor usage. We are advising the State that they could develop guidelines recommending notification to the appropriate State agency if the contractor notices that the family is using the food bank on an on-going basis. The State has requested to know what practices other states have developed to define, monitor and resolve recurrent usage of food bank benefits that are classified as non-assistance. Please provide the names of states with such food bank programs, a State contact person, and a brief description of how recurrent usage is defined, monitored and resolved. Results of survey will be provided. (Date submitted: 10/18/2001)  (1 response)
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What are States doing to promote/support the institution of marriage? Please provide information on supportive services, such as marriage counseling, courses of instruction, paring older couples with younger couples, and money management. (Date submitted: 03/08/2001)  (8 responses)
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What States are providing services or payments to cover high utility expenses? (Date submitted: 02/15/2001)  (2 responses)
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What States provide legal services to welfare recipients? Describe the types of legal services provided. (Date submitted: 01/03/2001)  (4 responses)
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Child Care

What states currently, or plan to, consider TANF participants in a countable work activity if they are providing childcare for the child of another TANF participant engaged in unpaid work activities? (Date submitted: 10/20/2006)  (1 response)
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Please describe the structure of your training and staff development unit. Most importantly, how you accomplish the training of TANF, Food Stamps, Medicaid, Adult/Elderly etc. Secondly, if you have systems trainers and how work is assigned regarding eligibility management systems, child support systems, child care systems etc. Thanks! (Date submitted: 06/13/2005)  (0 responses)
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Please describe the structure of your training and staff development unit. Most importantly, how you accomplish the training of TANF, Food Stamps, Medicaid, Adult/Elderly etc. Secondly, if you have systems trainers and how work is assigned regarding eligibility management systems, child support systems, child care systems etc. Thanks! (Date submitted: 06/13/2005)  (0 responses)
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How do other states conduct resource and referral to the TANF population in educating parents on selecting quality child care? What are the services provided? What is the workflow from the moment the client states they need child care? (Date submitted: 05/16/2005)  (0 responses)
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Child Support

Can any State give examples of successful collaborations between TANF and Child Support Enforcement? (Date submitted: 06/05/2007)  (0 responses)
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Do we know of any examples of a so-called "Presumptive Maternal Custody Law" in operation in any State, as it may affect paternity establishment? (Date submitted: 08/30/2005)  (0 responses)
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Are there promising practices regarding a formal, systematic, and/or significant outreach/PR efforts by a TANF agency either alone or in conjunction with their CSE partners to promote paternity establishment and its benefits to the child? (Date submitted: 08/30/2005)  (0 responses)
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Are there any States that have developed videos on the services provided by a child support agency (focusing on both custodial and noncustodial parents) for viewing in the waiting areas of the child support office? If so, would you please provide a brief description of the video content and a contact person with phone/e-mail address for follow-up? Thanks very much. (Date submitted: 11/01/2004)  (11 responses)
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A Region IX state is seeking examples of States that have provided or referred recipients exiting cash assistance with/to enhanced Child Support Enforcement services. These cases may be those leaving assistance due to earned income or time-expiration. Please provide a name and contact number, and additional details would be greatly appreciated. (Date submitted: 09/30/2004)  (8 responses)
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Which states have authority to pursue enforcement of child support orders against grandparents in cases of minor parents? (Date submitted: 11/20/2001)  (1 response)
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Compromise of Arrears when Parents Marry or Re-marry Two states, Washington and Vermont, have taken steps to help parents who marry or re-marry handle any state child support debt that might have accumulated while they were not living together. We are interested in identifying any other states that through statute, procedures or written policies have developed mechanisms for reducing or suspending state child support debt when parents marry or re-marry. (Date submitted: 10/18/2001)  (2 responses)
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What States pass-through child support funds directly to the family? Please describe the process and the amount of the passthrough. (Date submitted: 06/26/2001)  (4 responses)
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Do any States use the IV-D Program as the single portal of entry for child support services? (Date submitted: 12/08/2000)  (3 responses)
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Have any State Legislatures audited/reviewed any aspects of their State IVD Program operations--not including audits conducted by a State auditor or State audit agency--and issued a report? (Date submitted: 11/08/1999)  (1 response)
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How many States pass through all or portions of the child support collected to the family? Are States' share of pass-throughs included in or claimed as MOE? (Date submitted: 04/19/1999)  (3 responses)
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Which States charge application and other fees for IV-D services? How much is the fee? Are the fees charged to the custodial or noncustodial parent? Does the State absorb the fee? (Date submitted: 04/08/1999)  (9 responses)
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Are States or local TANF programs providing a child support assurance guaranteeing the provision of child support to the custodial caretaker and her/his household, even in the absence of a child support collection from the absent parent?   (2 responses)
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Education

What are States doing around providing TANF participants with Adult Basic Education/General Educational Development opportunities? What states are interested in learning more about this topic? (Date submitted: 12/13/2007)  (2 responses)
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Georgia would like to find out how other states are providing Adult Basic Education/GED/Literacy services for their TANF clients. (Date submitted: 09/06/2006)  (3 responses)
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Are any states using State-only funds to support a separate State program permitting higher education (up to 4+ years) programs?   (1 response)
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Financial Incentives

What are States doing to promote/support the institution of marriage? Please provide information on supportive services, such as marriage counseling, courses of instruction, paring older couples with younger couples, and money management. (Date submitted: 03/08/2001)  (8 responses)
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Are any States providing payments or provisions to encourage clients to remain employed? (Date submitted: 10/26/2000)  (1 response)
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What types of incentive awards are States currently using to reward TANF participants for completing various milestones of work and training activities? What experiences have States had with offering such incentives? (Date submitted: 02/02/2000)  (10 responses)
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Can TANF funds be used as short-term benefits to help absolve recipient’s credit debt? If so, are these benefits excluded from the definition of ‘assistance’, thus not affecting the 24-60 month time clock? Are any states currently using their TANF funds for these purposes? (Date submitted: 12/16/1999)  (1 response)
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Food and Nutrition

I would like some information on California's new Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) system. Thanks. (Date submitted: 11/12/2003)  (1 response)
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Health

What States/jurisdictions are utilizing TANF funding to train TANF recipients in any aspects of the health care area. If you have information relative to this inquiry, the name and telephone number of a contact person would be appreciated. (Date submitted: 04/18/2002)  (1 response)
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Housing/Economic Development

North Carolina has requested examples of how States might currently be using TANF (or State MOE) funding to provide services for homeless families. Also, if there are funds provided to prevent homelessness, that would be helpful. Please advise of any such practices and provide a contact person. (Date submitted: 02/04/2004)  (7 responses)
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Have any State or county TANF agencies established constructive relationships with their local public housing agencies? If so, describe how this collaboration was formed and what results/changes have taken place due to this collaboration. (Date submitted: 05/27/2003)  (1 response)
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What States are providing services or payments to cover high utility expenses? (Date submitted: 02/15/2001)  (2 responses)
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Individual Development Accounts

What are States doing around starting Individual Development Accounts for clients using TANF? What States have working relationships with Assets For Independence grantees? What States are interested in learning more about this topic? (Date submitted: 12/13/2007)  (0 responses)
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What States are engaged in Individual Development Account (IDA) planning and implementation? (Date submitted: 03/04/1999)  (1 response)
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Kinship Care

Which States are providing kinship or guardian subsidy payments to family or friends caring for children in their custody? (Date submitted: 03/28/2007)  (2 responses)
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Which States have the optional grandparent liability provision as a State law? Which are considering it? Which States are enforcing the provision? (Date submitted: 09/28/1999)  (1 response)
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Mentoring

Do any states use peer mentoring in their TANF programs? For example, using previous TANF participants to work with current participants and mentor them through the process of working with the TANF agency. (Date submitted: 11/17/2008)  (2 responses)
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Does anyone utilize a staff support model which focuses on debriefing with staff to deal with daily stress and burnout and in extreme cases, a secondary trauma model? (Date submitted: 01/09/2008)  (0 responses)
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We would like training, policy and procedure information for Parent Partner or other peer support programs for TANF/Child Welfare clients. Can any states provide information? (Date submitted: 12/03/2007)  (0 responses)
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We have a question related to one of the options available to States for use of TANF funds. Federal TANF funds and State MOE funds can be used for Mentoring Children of Prisoners (MCP) and positive youth development. We would appreciate if you would let us know if any of your States are currently using Federal TANF funds or State MOE funds for mentoring and after-school programs for school-age children, as well as positive youth development services for adolescents. We would appreciate responses by August 29, 2005. (Date submitted: 08/17/2005)  (2 responses)
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Transportation

Do any states have advice for how to start a "wheels to work" program for TANF and low-income families? This idea would help families achieve self sufficiency, remain employed, and gain better employment by having the mobility to access jobs and education in surrounding areas. (Date submitted: 03/01/2008)  (3 responses)
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What best practices or innovative programs are States and counties implementing relating to transportation assistance for TANF recipients? Are there examples of car-loan, car purchase, or ride share programs being implemented? The State of Virginia would appreciate any information you could provide. (Date submitted: 01/18/2005)  (5 responses)
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I have heard information that some States are providing cars to TANF recipients. Are these States actually providing the money to the client and allowing the client to purchase his/her own car? Are there any less expensive alternative methods, or suggestions to providing this service? (Date submitted: 04/02/2003)  (2 responses)
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What "transitional" assistance is there for people living rurally without any reliable (including public) transportation to make this necessary transition off welfare? (Date submitted: 10/29/2001)  (1 response)
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What States are providing vehicle insurance to clients and what criteria do they use? What about high risk insurance services? (Date submitted: 01/03/2001)  (4 responses)
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