Policy & Practice | Fall 2026

NAPIPM Impact Award: Wyoming Department of Family Services

NASTA Impact Award: Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) received the 2026 NASTA Impact Award for its use of technology and partnerships to expand English language learning and job readiness opportunities for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) partici pants across the state. Under the leadership of TANF Program Manager II Will Varicak, Nebraska DHHS and its Employment First con tractor, Equus Workforce Solutions, used technology to provide English as a Second Language (ESL) and English Language Learning (ELL) opportunities alongside job readiness supports for hundreds of TANF participants with limited English proficiency. The effort addressed gaps in communities where local and educational providers lacked the capacity or resources to meet the need for these services. The initiative has helped participants remain engaged in meaningful, TANF-approved work activities, contributing to high participation rates, fewer sanctions, measurable gains in English language and job readiness skills, and higher employment rates as participants become eligible to enter or reenter the workforce. By expanding access to skill-building opportunities where community resources were limited, Nebraska DHHS demonstrates how technology and strong partnerships can keep individual needs at the center of service delivery while The Wyoming Department of Family Services (DFS) received the 2026 NAPIPM Impact Award for its work to transform access to child care services through the Early Childhood Access Resources and Eligibility System (ECARES) . Under the leadership of Roxanne O’Connor, Wyoming DFS launched ECARES as a fully integrated child care platform connecting families, providers, and agency staff through a single, streamlined experience. The system modernizes child care search, eligibility determination, application processing, provider management, and payment administration. The results are significant. ECARES has reduced child care assistance application processing times from seven days to four days and shortened provider payment timelines from 15 days to six days, helping families access care more quickly while ensuring timely payments to child care providers. The system has also simplified access to child care assistance for foster families and others navigating complex service needs. By combining human-centered design, business process transformation, modern technology, and strong cross-sector partnerships, Wyoming DFS has created one of the nation’s

most comprehensive integrated early childhood systems— demonstrating how innovation can improve the customer experience, strengthen program integrity, and deliver better outcomes for families and providers. Roxanne O’Conner, Senior Administrator, accepts the NAPIPM Impact Award on behalf of the Wyoming Department of Family Services.

helping people prepare for employment and supporting greater stability for families. Michaela Hirschman (center), Deputy Director of Policy and Programs, accepts the NASTA Impact Award on behalf of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Also pictured are Patara Horn (left), Director, Bureau of Working Families, Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, and NASTA Chair; and Kapria Lee (right), Senior Policy Associate, Social and Economic Mobility, APHSA.

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