Federal poverty alleviation programs like the Temporary Assistancefor Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP),and Pell grants are designed to assist low-income individuals and can be usedto help opportunity youth gain the skills they need for economic success. Buteach has different purposes, eligibility requirements, rules, and expectations.As a result, each serves youth in varying degrees, and organizations must patchtogether funding from multiple, disparate sources to meet the complex needs oflow-income and disconnected young people.

In this brief, JFF highlights the importance of, and recommendations for, improving poverty alleviationinitiatives to help opportunity youth attain the education, skills, and credentials needed to rise out of poverty and prosper in the economy of today and tomorrow. 

This brief was made possible by generous support from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. The findings, conclusions, and recommendations presented in this report are those of JFF alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.