Policy & Practice | Summer 2025

These lived insights helped validate the broader research findings and grounded the policy discussion in the human experience. They reinforced the importance of designing systems that see families as partners, not problems.

to TANF’s role in the broader human services system, TANF’s relationship with child welfare, modernization efforts, and other observations about each state’s TANF program. Out of these discussions, a few key lessons surfaced: n TANF is not adequately resourced to meet families’ basic needs. Despite this, states are pursuing strategies available within existing flexibilities to connect families with assistance, services, and supports. n TANF needs to be modernized, and doing so will require policy change. Specifically, states would like to see greater policy alignment with child welfare and greater policy alignment with the broader human services system. n TANF policy reforms could be focused on (1) better supporting families’ whole well-being, (2) gathering the opinions of current and former TANF customers, and (3) revisiting the basic goals of the program, including the first statu tory purpose of keeping families together, and how those goals are measured. These focus groups illuminated the passion of states’ public assis tance leaders to connect families to ECS as well as the obstacles they face navigating strict program eligibility requirements. In parallel, APHSA and Chapin Hall convened focus groups of mothers who have firsthand experience with child welfare and economic support systems. These conversations were deeply informative, surfacing the real-world implications of policy and practice. Participants described how economic stress and lack of access to basic supports often led to child welfare involvement—not because they were unfit parents, but because they were struggling to meet needs. They expressed a desire for systems that view families with empathy and offer assistance without judgment. Trust, dignity, and timely support emerged as critical values. These lived insights helped validate the broader research findings and Focus Groups of People with Lived Experience

grounded the policy discussion in the human experience. They reinforced the importance of designing systems that see families as partners, not problems. Cross-Cutting Insights Across the CoP sessions, and survey and focus groups, several key insights became clear. First, economic hardship is a core child welfare issue. When families lack stable housing, consistent income, or access to child care, the likelihood of child welfare involvement increases. Second, systems continue to operate in silos that limit their collective effectiveness. Whether due to funding constraints, misaligned eligibility requirements, or lack of shared data systems, agencies are often unable to collaborate in meaningful ways to prevent challenges from becoming child safety crises, or to address crises once they emerge. Third, the manner in which supports are delivered matters just as much as the supports themselves. Families emphasized the importance of being treated with respect and seen as capable of determining their own needs. Systems that are punitive or overly bureaucratic risk further alienating the very families they intend to help. Finally, there is a growing recogni tion that meaningful policy change requires both top-down leader ship and bottom-up engagement. Innovations are more likely to succeed when they are shaped by those with lived experience and supported by cross-agency collaboration. Looking Ahead: Building a Family-Centered Ecosystem APHSA and Chapin Hall are con tinuing their joint effort to elevate the evidence of ECS and inform the

development of a family-centered ecosystem that prevents abuse and neglect and promotes thriving families. This will require not only coordination across sectors, but a shared vision for what it means to support family well-being. APHSA continues to create peer learning opportunities among its affinity groups, CoPs, and other workgroups, namely within the National Association of State TANF Administrators affinity group. APHSA hopes to continue to inform TANF modernization and focus on the design and implementation of a long term strategy that connects families with the tools they need to increase their overall success and well-being. Wherever possible, the membership association brings individuals con nected to the child welfare system or TANF into these conversations as well. This work helps build the case for sustained investment in ECS as a core pillar of child welfare transforma tion, recognizing their critical role in strengthening families and preventing system involvement. are essential to address the needs of families, increase child safety, and improve long-term outcomes. When families are equipped with the resources they need to care for their children, the likelihood of crisis decreases and the opportunity to thrive increases. By embracing collaboration, lifting up lived experience, and investing in prevention, we can move closer to a child welfare system that prioritizes keeping families together, supporting dignity, and enabling all children to grow up in safe, stable, and loving environments. In Conclusion ECS are not ancillary—they

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