Our ChanceTN, an initiative by the Tennessee Alliance for Economic Mobility, supports families in moving beyond the benefits cliff so families can achieve their dreams.
WHO WE ARE
Launched November 1, 2022, Our ChanceTN received a $25m Tennessee Opportunity Pilot Initiative Implementation Grant to reimagine how the state supports families in moving out of poverty and into opportunity. We were selected by the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) and the Families First Community Advisory Board to demonstrate a new vision for the Tennessee Safety Net that could be scaled statewide and ultimately become a model for the nation. The grants are funded by the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. Martha O’Bryan Center serves as the backbone organization for TAEM, a partnership that includes community-based organizations, faith-based institutions, government agencies, political subdivisions, economic development organizations, and community and technical colleges in Davidson, Dickson, Maury, Montgomery, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties.
HOW WE CAME TO BE
One of Our ChanceTN’s approaches is designed to mitigate the effects of the “benefits cliff”–a broken piece of the public support system that leaves low-income families worse off financially when families increase their income and this de-incentivizes families from pursuing increased earnings, education, and opportunity. As families increase income, benefits are abruptly lost and the value of this increased income is less than the value of the lost benefit(s).
Marsha Edwards, Martha O’Bryan Center’s CEO, shared, “We are thrilled to work with 32 partners across seven counties, all of whom have a deep belief in the American dream for moving ahead economically. This initiative eliminates the benefits cliff and allows families to build forward momentum for their children and their communities.”
Our ChanceTN’s innovation to fix the benefits cliff is a transitional benefit which will be paid directly to food, childcare, housing, and health providers to increase families’ access to fresh food, childcare, housing, and health care when a family’s net resources decrease due to the benefits cliff. Addressing the benefits cliff is essential for families’ economic status and wellbeing.
Another key part of Our ChanceTN’s strategy is family-centered coaching, whereby participant families define goals for every member of the family and receive consistent support from their dedicated coach to achieve those goals. Families drive the goal setting and progress tracking processes and are surrounded by a tailored team of experts.
The model is based in part on Martha O’Bryan Center’s Family Success Network, which was launched in 2020 and has since supported over 200 families in accomplishing 718 education and employment advancement goals. TAEM’s approach also includes financial counseling, wrap-around support navigation, and access to education and employment training that align with high-wage, high-demand career pathways in the Middle Tennessee labor market.
Our ChanceTN addresses three of TDHS’ universal outcomes, seeking to increase families’ economic status and stability, increase their family engagement (expanding their networks and connections to other families), and decrease their psychological distress (improved health and wellbeing).