Office of the Secretary Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation notice inviting applications for new award for fiscal year 1998--HHS. Announcement of the availability of funds and request for applications from states to determine the status of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) recipients after they leave the TANF caseload, eligible families who are diverted before being enrolled, or eligible families who fail to enroll.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), with support from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, announces the availability of funds and invites applications for research into the status of individuals and families who leave the TANF program, who apply for cash welfare but are never enrolled because of non-financial eligibility requirements or diversion programs, and/or who appear to be eligible but are not enrolled (hereafter jointly referred to as welfare leavers). Approximately eight to ten States or counties will receive funding that will enable them to track and monitor how individuals and their families do in the first year after they leave welfare and provide a foundation for longer follow-up. States may choose any method for such tracking, including the linking of administrative data, surveys or other methods as appropriate. We are particularly interested in learning about individuals' ability to obtain employment and the support provided by their earnings, public programs besides TANF, and other sources. The funds could support a newly designed project or could be used to add new data sources and analyses to an existing project. In addition, ASPE announces the availability of supplementary funding from the Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to track the consequences of welfare reform for low-income families with children who receive housing assistance. These funds will only be available to ASPE Grantees.