After 25 years of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, APHSA is embracing the call to reimagine how it can work in support of the families it serves. Working with human services leaders nationally, we are pleased to release Core Principles for TANF Modernization: A Legislative Framework for TANF Reform. There is no limit to what we can achieve together when our work is centered on people and public service, building common ground, and partnering across sectors, helping to enable equitable economic mobility and well-being for all. We look forward to further discussions with Congress, the Administration, and community stakeholders on the reforms needed to fully realize TANF to support thriving communities built on human potential.

The Economic Mobility and Well-Being (EMWB) Conference Call for Proposals is now open! The 2022 EMWB Conference will be held August 14-17 at the Marriott Savannah Riverfront in Savannah, GA—save the date and learn more about the focus areas and session types in our proposal guide. Be sure to submit proposals by April 8.

APHSA submitted a letter to Congress that requests waiver and staffing flexibilities to assist Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) agencies in the transition out of the public health emergency (PHE). These time-limited flexibilities are critical to help SNAP agencies respond to uniquely challenging circumstances brought on by the transitional phase of the pandemic response we are entering.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office’s new report examines how select states jurisdictions —Arkansas, California, Massachusetts, and Washington, DC— help prevent and address maltreatment in federally funded residential facilities, and the challenges states face in reporting and collecting maltreatment data. The report highlights several steps suggested by stakeholders to address maltreatment and how federal agencies are supporting state efforts.

On Thursday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a letter regarding Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Basic Health Program (BHP), describing how states may distribute eligibility and enrollment work when states restore routine operations at the end of the Public Health Emergency, mitigate churn for eligible beneficiaries, and smoothly transition individuals between coverage programs.

Read Letter

On February 24, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility, to reconsider public charge grounds of inadmissibility determinations. The proposed rule stands in contrast to the August 2019 Final Rule, and would not consider non-cash benefits such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and most forms of Medicaid when making public charge determinations. Comments are due by April 25.

Read Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) released a Policy Memo to all state Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) agencies requesting agencies consider opportunities to promote the Child Tax Credit (CTC), Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and encourage all SNAP applicants and recipients to file taxes.

The ISM Conference Call for Proposals is now open for state and local government agencies. The 2022 ISM Annual Conference and Expo will be held October 23-26 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, MD—save the date and learn more about the focus areas and session types in our Call for Proposals Guide. Registration opening soon!

Join us along with speakers from the National Community Action Partnership, Virginia Department of Social Services, Virginia Community Action Partnership, and Hampton Roads Community Action Program to learn about our new partnership Playbook with the Community Action Partnership: Aligning Systems to Advance Family and Community Well-Being: A Partnership Playbook for Community Action and Human Services Agencies. This Playbook is a shared exploration of the ways our two systems have partnered together in response to the recent public health and economic crisis, and continue to move forward promising collaborative work focused on thriving families.