MDRC is pleased to announce that it has been awarded two new contracts from the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation of the Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Both projects will promote innovation among state Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs:

Evidence-Building in TANF:  Advancing Innovations to Promote Employment and Economic Security for Low-Income Individuals: This five-year project will fund a series of rigorous evaluations of innovative programs designed to help low-income people find jobs, advance in the labor market, and improve their economic security. There will be a special emphasis on interventions designed to address opioid dependency, abuse of other substances, and mental health issues. Partners include Abt Associates and MEF Associates.

Promoting and Supporting Innovation in TANF Data: The project will support innovation and effectiveness of state-level TANF programs by enhancing the use of data from TANF and related human services programs. This work may include encouraging and strengthening state integrated data systems (IDS), promoting proper payments and program integrity, and enabling data analytics for TANF program improvement. Across its activities, the contract will support the use of data for understanding the broad impact that TANF has on families, and improve knowledge of how the federal government and state partners can use data to more efficiently and effectively serve TANF clients. Partners include Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, the Center for Urban Science and Progress at New York University, and Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy at the University of Pennsylvania.