TANF, Child Support and Employment Program Partnerships
Promoting family self-sufficiency through coordinated service delivery
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF EACH OF THESE PROGRAMS?
Title IV-A: Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
- To provide assistance to families so that children may be cared for in their own, or a relatives’ home, by promoting job preparation and work, and by encouraging the formation and maintenance of two-parent families
Title IV-D: Child Support Program (CSP)
- To ensure that both parents financially (and emotionally) support their children
- Focus on obtaining financial support from the non-custodial parent (NCP)
Employment and DOL job programs
- To make job search, work activities, including education, skills and job-readiness training, available to clients who require assistance
WHAT IS THE COMMON GOAL OF TANF, CSP, AND EMPLOYMENT/JOB PROGRAMS?
Common Goals
- Empowering families to achieve self-sufficiency through regular employment, and when necessary, paying child-support
- The combination of regular job earnings, and regular child support payments, helps low-income families to become, and remain, self-sufficient
- Reducing dependency on government benefits, which allows governments to provide benefits to other families and children in need
- Providing services leading to self-sufficiency through education, job search assistance, job-skill training and education and support services (transportation, childcare, counseling, medical insurance)
Why is it important that IV-A and IV-D have good partnerships?
- To ensure families receive the optimum benefits from all the services that are available
- To maximize resources by ensuring programs are not providing duplicate services
- To ensure the programs meet heir respective objectives efficiently and effectively
Program Services
- Is each program aware of the services available under the other programs?
- If so, how is that information shared with clients?
- Are referrals made to other programs, and if so, who is responsible for follow-up?
Maximizing Resources
- Are programs providing timely and/or similar services?
- If so, which program is in a position to provide the most comprehensive service?
- Can programs pool resources and personnel to achieve shared-goals?
Meeting Program Requirements
- How can the actions of one program affect the responsibilities and performance of another program?
- How can programs ensure they support the responsibilities and performance of another program?
COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION-SHARING
Why is information-sharing important?
- To accurately identify the legal custody of children and the services needed by CP’s, NCP’s and relative care-givers so no one falls "between the cracks"
- To accurately track court-ordered and required program activities for clients that are receiving services
- To identify fraudulent activities
- Prompt assessment and opening of cases to ensure timely services
- Sharing of information and providing education on the services a client may qualify for under other programs
- Joint-efforts to support family needs
Communication
- How does each program identify a “case” (parent, child, relative)?
- How does each program make, and track, referrals to other program (is their a central point of contact, by case number)?
- Is input from the other programs requested when taking action on a case (how is this accomplished)?
WHAT IS WORKING...
Best Practices
- Co-locating staff in the same building or in close proximity
- Teaming of the respective program staff that works the same caseload
- Creating a Coordinator Position to facilitate IV-A/IV-D links
- Cross-training and shared-training to facilitate a better understanding of the respective programs
- Formation of a team, with representatives from each program, to review the shared cases and determine the best course of action for the family
- Manual and systems development to expedite referrals and case-management activities
WHAT OTHER PROGRAMS PLAY A PART...
Clients with Special Needs
- Identify clients with shared- needs that the programs can not address:
- Physical disabilities
- Alcohol and Drugs
- Mental and Emotional Health
- Domestic Violence
- What State/Tribal programs can address these needs?
- Who qualifies for services?
- How can you create better relationships with these programs?
- If a referral is made, how does he referring agency inform other IV-A/IV-D/Employment programs of the referral?