Home Visiting Services for TANF Families with Young Children: Second Year Outcomes

This report examines second year outcomes for families who enrolled in the TANF Home Visiting program between May 2015, when the program began, and October 2016. Outcomes for participating families during the 24 months following enrollment were compared to outcomes for similar families receiving TANF who did not enroll in home visiting. Parents enrolled in TANF Home Visiting were more likely than comparison parents to engage in WorkFirst activities that prepared them for work, including education and training activities, and to use child care subsidies. Infants born to parents in TANF Home Visiting also experienced better health and safety including fewer emergency department visits and visits for injury treatment in the second year after enrolling, and reduced likelihood of being placed out-of-home in the first year after enrolling. The results from the second year of follow-up for the TANF Home Visiting program are promising and suggest that home visiting services may impact the behavior of parents and improve outcomes for kids. The DSHS Economic Services Division should consider whether to make this type of service available to more TANF families, especially those families who are expectant or have a new baby.