Appendix D Moving Forward project description

NOVEMBER 2021

TANF and Child Support Moving Forward:
Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic
What is the background for the
study?

The COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying economic shocks have created
unprecedented disruption and challenges for human services programs and the
families they serve. The pandemic caused State, Tribal, and county TANF and child
support programs to face increased demand for assistance and services at the same
time that shutdown orders and social distancing upended program operations and
service delivery. In addition, the pandemic changed the composition of the programs’
caseloads and the needs of the families served.
The pandemic also provided an opportunity for program staff to generate ideas and
adopt new and innovative practices. Meeting the demands of this crisis situation
included shifting modes of service delivery, adapting processes and practices,
developing new forms of collaboration, and implementing new policies.

What is the
study’s focus?

Through this study, the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) in the
Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services seeks to document and learn from program innovations that TANF and child
support programs have made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This study will advance knowledge about the implications of the pandemic for TANF
and child support operations and what that has meant for the customers they serve. It
will describe adaptations programs made, how staff and customers experienced
these changes, and what changes may be continued longer-term. OPRE has
contracted with Mathematica and its partner, MEF Associates, to design and conduct
the study.

How will the study The Moving Forward: Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic study includes
several key activities:
be conducted?
• Conduct knowledge development activities, including a scan of the literature and
consultations with policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to understand key
adaptations that programs made in response to the pandemic and identify
potential sites for further examination.
• Administer a short web-based questionnaire to TANF and child support staff and
conduct follow-up interviews with select program staff.
• Conduct brief, semi-structured interviews with a small number of child support and
TANF customers.
When will the
study happen?

The study began in September 2021 and will continue through September 2025.

What will the
study produce?

The study team will produce and disseminate a mix of written products that highlight
key study findings based on the literature scan and their interviews with TANF and
child support program staff and customers.

To find out more

Contact the Mathematica project director: Rebekah Selekman at (609) 945-6598
or rselekman@mathematica-mpr.com. Contact the OPRE project officer: Lisa
Zingman at Lisa.Zingman@acf.hhs.gov.

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