This week marks the 25th anniversary of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), establishing the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. TANF provides millions of parents and caregivers with economic supports to help meet their basic needs; employment and training skills to earn family-sustaining wages; early childhood care that fosters development during children’s formative years; and services that prevent and mitigate childhood stress and trauma. Still, the TANF block grant has potential to further shift human services upstream and head off more costly and disruptive crises that threaten to anchor families in deep poverty. To do so, we must build common ground on what families need to thrive, and how TANF can align with other key building blocks to achieve the outcomes we desire. Read more in our Cornerstone Brief, Core Principles for TANF Modernization here. |
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Matt Lyons, our Director of Policy & Research, participated in a Duke Sanford World Food Policy Center podcast addressing how states responded to the increase in need for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the pandemic, which is detailed in a joint report with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Read the report's Executive Summary here.
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We welcome your applications to join our team, or please share our job opportunities with your network! We currently have an opening for a Grants/Contract Manager.
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H.R.4509 - JOBS Act Reintroduced
On Monday, Republican Leader Kevin Brady (R-TX) and U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) reintroduced the “Jobs and Opportunity with Benefits and Services for Success Act” or “JOBS for Success Act.” This bill would make significant reforms to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, including renaming the program to “Jobs and Opportunities with Benefits and Services” (JOBS), expanding allowable activities, adding poverty reduction as an explicit program purpose, limiting funds spent on child welfare, and prohibiting funds spent directly on child care, among other provisions.
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Child and Family Well-Being |
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CMS Releases February 2021 Medicaid & CHIP Enrollment Data Highlights
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have released a report detailing all states' monthly data on Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) eligibility and enrollment activity. These data reflect a range of indicators related to key application, eligibility, and enrollment processes within the state Medicaid and CHIP agency.
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2021 KIDS COUNT Data Book
The 32nd edition of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT® Data Book describes how children across the United States were faring before, and during, the coronavirus pandemic. This year’s publication continues to deliver the Foundation’s annual state rankings and the latest available data on child well-being. It identifies multiyear trends, comparing statistics from 2010 to 2019. In addition, the report shares data on how families endured throughout the pandemic.
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Employment and Economic Well-Being |
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Welfare Indicators and Risk Factors, 20th Report to Congress
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) released its 20th report to Congress on “predictors of welfare dependency” focused on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
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Revised Child Support Resource Guide for State IV-D Directors
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) issued a revised guide on child support resources for State IV-D Directors covering topics such as program requirements, federal reporting, state plan requirements, audit requirements, and system information.
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Final Rule: Employment and Training Opportunities in SNAP – Questions & Answers Part 2
The Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) released its second Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document, addressing questions on the Supplemental Food and Nutrition Program (SNAP) Employment and Training (E&T) final rule (RIN 0584-AE68). The FAQ addresses topics such as the role of eligibility staff, consolidated work notice, case management, and voluntary work hours.
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RECS 2022 Call for Proposals Open
The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), an Office of the Administration for Children & Families (ACF) has opened the call for proposals for the upcoming Research & Evaluation Conference on Self-Sufficiency (RECS) 2022. RECS 2022 is currently being planned as an in-person event, to be held at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC on June 1–3, 2022. RECS convenes to present the latest findings from evaluations of programs, policies, and services that support families. Deadline for submissions is August 27.
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Save the Date for SPARK 2021
Designed by the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities and Council on Accreditation (Alliance-COA), SPARK 2021 is a three-day virtual learning experience that will activate the power of the social sector. Mark your calendars for this three-day, virtual learning experience on October 12-14, to convene leaders from across the human services ecosystem to create a unified, intrepid, just, and purposeful network so that all people can thrive.
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APHSA Leadership Corner - The Role of Inclusive Economic Rights in Building a Moral Economy
Darrick Hamilton, PhD, leads the conversation on Inclusive Economic Rights and how such a conception is indispensable to creating a Moral Economy, anchored on the notions of Shared Prosperity, Human Dignity, and Human Flourishing. We need to re-orient our political economy to guarantee Inclusive Economic Rights: the right to a good job; the right to capital; the right to quality education from grade school through college, the right to housing; the right to food and food sovereignty; and the right to a guaranteed income. This is the only way to advance transformational change towards economic inclusion, civic engagement, and social equity.
Tuesday, July 27, 2:00 PM EDT
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APHSA Webinar - Leveraging Emergency Funding to Purchase Human Services Technology
Join us for a webinar with Northwoods and representatives from Carver County Health and Human Services (MN) and Otero County Department of Social Services (CO). By leveraging emergency funding, human services agencies across the country have successfully purchased technology designed to improve and support telework capabilities, provide touchless interaction to customers, and quickly recover from the current COVID-19 crisis, while also preparing for future waves.
Monday, August 16, 2:00-3:00 PM EDT
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In-person registration is now open for our upcoming conferences, listed below. Virtual registration will be open at a later date. Keeping the safety and well-being of our attendees first and foremost in our planning, we ask that you participate in a brief survey for the event(s) you plan to attend. Links are below.
Get rewarded for bringing a team of three or more! APHSA is offering a $25 discount per registration if you bring three or more members of your team. Email [email protected] to secure the registration discount code.
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August 22-25 | Milwaukee, WI
The Economic Mobility and Well-Being Conference (EMWB) will bring together members from three APHSA affinity groups – American Association of SNAP Directors (AASD), National Association of TANF Administrators (NASTA), National Association of Program Information and Performance Management (NAPIPM) – in partnership with the National Association of Welfare and Research Statistics (NAWRS). The conference convenes in beautiful Milwaukee, WI, at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee to showcase the work of agencies, researchers, and private sector to advance our collective goal of achieving economic mobility and well-being for all.
As we plan for our fall events, completing our EMWB Pulse Survey will inform us as we plan out the logistics for all to meet safely in Milwaukee.
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Information Technology Solutions Management for Human Services (ISM) Conference
September 26-29 | Cincinnati, OH
Reconnect at the ISM Annual Conference & Expo which will convene in Cincinnati, OH, at the Duke Energy Convention Center for their annual conference and expo. This event brings together agency leaders in technology, along with the private sector firms focused on providing solutions for health and human services agencies. The content presented will promote IT solutions and best practices that enhance the delivery of health and human services. In-person registration is now open.
Please take two minutes to complete our ISM Pulse Survey to help inform our logistics planning to meet safely in Cincinnati.
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The ISM Awards of Excellence celebrate state & local HHS agencies that are in the forefront of IT development & implementation. Envision your agency accepting one of these prestigious awards! Deadline is Friday, August 6. Submit here.
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National Staff Development and Training Association (NSDTA) Conference
October 3-6 | Spokane, WA
Connect with your colleagues at the NSDTA Annual Education Conference in Spokane, WA. This conference brings together human services organizational development, staff development, and training professionals at the local, state, and federal levels. Join us at the DoubleTree by Hilton Spokane City Center for the opportunity to share ideas, resources, and engage in robust sessions. We are focusing on forward-thinking ideas about instructional design, workforce development, evaluation and research, and much more! In-person registration is now open.
Your input for our NSDTA Pulse Survey will help inform our logistics planning to meet safely in Spokane.
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NSDTA Awards - The National Staff Development and Training Association (NSDTA) awards recognize outstanding individuals and initiatives within your organization which are helping advance the delivery of health and human services practices or programs to staff. Deadline is August 20. Submit here.
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American Association of Health and Human Services Attorneys (AAHHSA) Conference
October 17-20 | Columbus, OH
Join your colleagues at the AAHHSA Annual Education Conference in Columbus, OH. This conference is a comprehensive learning and networking experience for attorneys representing state and local government agencies that administer health and human services programs. Join us at the Sheraton Columbus Hotel at Capitol Square for content focusing on the policies and practices that enhance human services programs’ delivery and quality – all while earning continuing legal education credits! In-person registration is now open.
Please take two minutes to complete our AAHHSA Pulse Survey to help inform our logistics planning to meet safely in Columbus.
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APHSA Career Center - Post Your Open Positions Today
APHSA serves as a clearinghouse for job opportunities throughout the health and human services (H/HS) field. Employers reach a wide audience of candidates looking for careers in H/HS and job seekers will find a bevy of opportunities throughout the country.
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