Blending & Braiding Your TANF Initiative
Client
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Funder
Statewide Strategic Use Fund
Stakeholders
The Colorado Department of Human Service’s Colorado Works Division is funding the BBYT Initiative with a grant from the Statewide Strategic Use Fund. BBYT is a partnership of:
- The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, where the project director is housed;
- The Colorado Systems of Care Collaborative, as the advisory group;
- The Family Resource Center Association, family advocacy organizations, and local counties to provide insight, expertise, and implementation opportunities;
- The Center for Systems Integration, to provide staff support and fiscal coordination expertise; and
- The Colorado Foundation for Public Health and the Environment is the fiscal agent.
Description
Joint funding and strategic financing approaches are a key priority in cross-systems efforts to improve access to a broad array of effective prevention, intervention, and treatment services. Without understanding how to leverage and braid multiple funding streams with different eligibility requirements, appropriate services, and geographic boundaries, it can be difficult to provide a comprehensive array of services that enable children, youth, and families to succeed. TANF is a unique funding stream focused on outcomes and this project seeks to identify how to effectively braid it with funding from other government and community partners to establish flexible, sustainable strategies to strengthen the safety net for low-income families.
Blending and Braiding Your TANF will:
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Research federal and state eligibility requirements and regulations to clarify what uses of TANF funds are permitted and how to maintain compliance while using TANF funds;
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Work with six demonstration sites to provide technical assistance to create individualized, Colorado Works Division approved braiding plans with TANF and one or more additional funding streams to serve low income families; and
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Develop concrete tools and provide statewide training to prepare any interested county to fully use their TANF dollars and braid them with other relevant funding streams.
The six demonstration sites are located throughout the state in Boulder, El Paso, Huerfano, Rio Grande, Montezuma, Dolores, La Plata, Archuleta, and San Juan counties.
Products
BBYT began in September of 2009. Most of its products will not be available until late in 2010 or in 2011. Please check back or ask to be included on the email list that announces new products: bbyt@csi-policy.org
External Links
