LA’s HOPE participants received temporary housing and help securing rental assistance and more permanent housing. Mental health services were also available. Once housed, LA’s HOPE case managers connected participants to a workforce development center; the case manager, workforce development staff, and mental health agency staff helped the participant prepare for employment.

TANF recipients participating in the Transitional Community Jobs Program worked with staff at program intake to assess employment barriers and completed a drug test and basic education assessment. Those with substance use disorders were referred for substance use treatment before resuming the program. After intake, participants attended mandatory job-skills classes, which addressed work-appropriate soft skills. They also participated in weekly meetings with program staff to develop a plan to obtain employment and pursue opportunities identified by job developers.

The Office of the Attorney General partnered with the Texas Workforce Commission and Title IV-D court (part of the state child support enforcement system) to administer the program with the goal of helping parents become more responsible parents and preventing them from falling behind on child support payments. NCP Choices EP was a voluntary program that assisted noncustodial parents early after having a child support order established to help them avoid the accumulation of significant child support debt.

Course participants learned job search and basic work skills, identified promising careers, and created a career development strategy. As part of the course, youth met weekly with the program’s employment coordinator to discuss entry-level opportunities in the individual’s field of interest. After job placement, Hire Up coordinators continued to support the former program member and provided support to the employer to ensure job retention after job placement.

FTP was one of the demonstration projects made possible by Section 1115 waivers to the rules in effect at the time for the AFDC program. These Section 1115 waivers allowed states to test new approaches to advance the objectives of the AFDC program.