TANF Provisions in FRA of 2023

Publication Date: August 21, 2024
Current as of:
Graphic showing a timeline with career progression timeline for an individual. It starts with a young woman carrying an infant, thinking about her future. It then progresses to showing that woman in school, then starting her career and finally financially successful with a young child. The background in yellow, showing a building with the title "Temporary Assistance for Needy Families" and a text on the local right hand side that reads "Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023."

 

TANF Pilots

September 25, 2025 Press Release: ACF Launches Redesigned Welfare Pilot with Five States to Promote Work, Reduce Government Dependency, and Strengthen Families

Participating statePilot plans include:
Arizona

  • Engaging employers that have vacancies for in-demand, well-paying positions to directly connect TANF participants with quality, sustainable employment.

  • Increasing staff knowledge about in-demand industries and identification of skills relevant to those vacancies.
  • Revamping existing participant workforce readiness assessments and creating enhanced Employment and Career Development Plans for participants.
Iowa
  • Strengthening program delivery through a community-based program model.
  • Providing TANF participants with better information to make good decisions by creating financial decision-making tools.
  • Improving partnerships with employers to facilitate the creation of matched savings opportunities for employees.
Nebraska

  • Enhancing career pathways for TANF participants through the creation of additional partnerships with community organizations, colleges, and businesses.

  • Providing personalized career plans, career coaching, job retention services, and other supportive services for TANF recipients.
Ohio

  • Implementing an individualized approach with each TANF recipient to focus on long-term barrier removal and family stabilization.

  • Providing TANF participants with a personalized well-being assessment, intensive case management services, and financial literacy training.

  • Supporting counties in building community resource banks.
Virginia

  • Establishing Personalized Results Plans for TANF participants. 

  • Building on its ongoing Career Pathway Pilot by blending sector-based training, intensive case management, and employment engagement.

  • Using multidisciplinary support teams to help TANF participants reach their employment goals. 

TANF Work Outcomes Measures

The TANF Work Outcomes Measures interim final rule includes three new reporting requirements, with data collection instruments finalized as of December 2024: 

OFA published a Program Instruction and technical resource guide (PDF), and FAQ designed to support state and territory agencies in successfully understanding, preparing, and submitting the new reporting requirements. 

OFA’s TANF Outcomes Technical Assistance and Logistics (TOTAL) contract is hosting webinars and office hours and developing tools to support the work outcomes reporting data collection. See TOTAL resources on OFA’s PeerTA website . Resources include:

Work Participation Rate (WPR) Calculation Changes

  • August 2025 Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023: CRC and Small Check Webinar

  • Section 301 of the FRA resets the base year for the caseload reduction credit component of the WPR calculation. The base year changed from 2005 to 2015, effective October 1, 2025.
  • Section 303 of the FRA requires HHS to exclude from the TANF work participation rate calculations cases that receive assistance payments benefits of less than $35 for a month funded with separate state program (SSP) funds. This statutory provision took effect October 1, 2025.
  • Per the Unified Agenda of Regulatory Actions , HHS will propose regulatory changes to implement these WPR calculation changes.

Additional Resources