Securing the Safety Net: Lessons From Nonprofit Organizations on TANF Access During COVID-19

Abstract

The functioning of the U.S. social safety net as a support for low-income families depends on various means-tested programs and a system of both public agencies and nonprofit organizations. Using in-depth interviews ( n = 5) and a survey of nonprofit employees ( n = 73), we seek to understand the role of nonprofits in promoting equitable access to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Our findings reveal that public assistance programs are a necessary support for families, but that access is not always easy or equitable, and nonprofits form a protective layer of support providing resources and guidance for those most in need. Implications for policy and partnerships between the various components of the social safety net are discussed.

Centering family voice during a public health crisis: Challenge and opportunity for health collaborations and community systems of care.

“…The voice strategies we identified extend emerging research on COVID-19-related mobilization (Barnes & Riel, 2022; Holcomb et al, 2022), including challenges families faced in learning how to access public benefits as COVID-19 policy changed. Like Holcomb et al’s (2022) findings regarding the role of nonprofits in providing resources and guidance around accessing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families to families in greatest need, our findings suggest that implementation driven by community members can uniquely help systems uncover blind spots and address barriers to access stretching beyond the crisis. In our study, these included outdated resource lists, confusing application processes, and poorly translated materials as well as factors related to where families live, such as a lack of broadband access and reliable public transportation in traditionally underserved communities.…”

“…System leaders initiated many of the surveys, need assessments, and program data collection and analysis strategies as one-off or time-limited crisis response strategies across three counties and sectors. The voice strategies we identified extend emerging research on COVID-19-related mobilization (Barnes & Riel, 2022;Holcomb et al, 2022), including challenges families faced in learning how to access public benefits as COVID-19 policy changed. Like Holcomb et al's (2022) findings regarding the role of nonprofits in providing resources and guidance around accessing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families to families in greatest need, our findings suggest that implementation driven by community members can uniquely help systems uncover blind spots and address barriers to access stretching beyond the crisis.…”

“…This is even more critical during public health crises. Several studies in the COVID-19 pandemic and other public health crises illustrate barriers to directing critical resources more effectively and equally for individuals and families of color (Barnes & Riel, 2022; Holcomb et al, 2022; Marston et al, 2020). At the same time, families with more challenging concrete and social needs tend to experience greater barriers to access (Boag-Munroe & Evangelou, 2012; Cortis, 2012; Lamb-Parker et al, 2001).…”

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on community-based brain injury associations across Canada: a cross-sectional survey study

“…In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic, by affecting multiple sources of revenue, has led many community associations to struggle even more to sustain themselves financially, while complying with restrictive measures, maintaining staff 's mental health and well-being, and continuing to meet the needs of thousands of clients, in a manner similar to other non-profits community associations, and social service providers (15, [30][31][32][33]. The Canadian government released COVID-19-specific funding and most of the surveyed brain injury associations applied for and received financial support to cope with additional costs associated with the pandemic.…”

Untitled

“…Zachowania darczyńców, jak i cała działalność charytatywna przykuwają w ostatnich latach uwagę teoretyków i praktyków na całym świecie -głównie z powodu kryzysu finansowego z 2008 roku, w wyniku którego ograniczono znacznie fundusze rządowe dla organizacji non profit (Kumar & Chakrabarti, 2021). Pandemia COVID-19 również stanowiła poważne wyzwanie nie tylko dla funkcjonowania wielu organizacji (Yang, 2020;Holcomb et al, 2022;Plaisance, 2022), ale także dla ich sytuacji finansowej (Kim, & Mason, 2021;Johnson et al, 2021;Intindola & Burke-Kolehmainen, 2023). W związku ze zmianami w otoczeniu organizacji non profit wiele z nich zaczęło dywersyfikować swoje przychody, uznając, iż sprzyja to stabilności ich działania (Hung & Hager, 2019;Lu et al, 2019;Mikołajczak, 2019;Qu, 2019;Tariq et al, 2023).…”