The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way public sector organizations in the United States need to function, as they have had to transition to remote platforms to stay safe while, simultaneously, the needs of the communities they serve have increased significantly. According to the Pew Research Center in April 2020, “overall, 43% of U.S. adults now say that they or someone in their household has lost a job or taken a cut in pay due to the outbreak…among lower-income adults, […] 52% say they or someone in their household has experienced this type of job upheaval.”

The estimated economic impacts of the COVID-19 emergency are staggering—millions of Americans are out of work or experiencing a decrease in hours. Thousands of businesses are shuttered and some may never reopen. Over 16 million new people have applied for unemployment since March, roughly half of the number of claims filed during 2008’s Great Recession.

The spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) is having major impacts on states and counties across the U.S. Both the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) present opportunities for states to support families and individuals in need during this emergency.

Momentum has been building for several years to reform the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, and many consider the recently proposed Jobs and Opportunity with Benefits and Services for Success (JOBS) Act to be an indicator of coming reforms. The House Ways and Means committee released the JOBS Act in May 2018 and the bill includes elements likely to be adopted as part of TANF’s Reauthorization. Given the significance of the reforms outlined in the Act, we encourage states to begin planning today.