Division of Family Resources - Overview
The Division of Family Resources (DFR) strengthens families through services that focus on:
- prevention
- early intervention,
- self-sufficiency,
- family support and
- preservation.
The Division administers programs in:
- Child Welfare
- Child Development
- Public Assistance
- Food Stamps
- IMPACT and
- Medicaid eligibility
The DFR is organized into three bureaus:
The Bureau of Family Resources manages the following services:
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) provides financial assistance to low-income families with a child under the age of 18 years of age who is deprived of parental support of one or more parents.
The Food Stamp program is designed to raise the nutritional level of low income households by increasing available food purchasing dollars with food stamp coupons.
The Indiana Manpower & Comprehensive Training (IMPACT) service provides to TANF and Food Stamp recipients job-related services to help them become economically self-sufficient.
The Housing & Community Services section assists low-income Hoosier families and individuals through a collaborative effort with 24 Community Action Agencies (CAAs) throughout Indiana. Services may include employment assistance, education, income management, housing, emergency services, nutrition, transportation, and energy assistance.
The Bureau of Child Care manages a cluster of services that affect the early education, development and care of children. Its purpose is to provide to families at the local level services based on each family's needs. Services include:
- child care for low income families working or in education/training programs,
- early intervention services for eligible children and their families,
- activities for physically disabled children, and before and after school care.
The Bureau of Program Evaluation analyzes the impacts of various policies, initiatives, and management efforts throughout the Division. The unit helps decide what data should be collected and measured, developing systems to measure, document, and analyze results. The end result is to improve the quality of information and answer critical questions that result in better policy making.
For more information about the above services or programs, contact the local Office of Family Resources in your county of residence.
