First Focus

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In recent years, dramatic changes across the landscape of public benefit programs — technology innovations, increased consumer demand for interconnectedness, new research into best practices in service delivery, and an increase in hardship resulting from the recession – are driving an increasingly vocal call for policy changes to modernize and streamline access to health and human services programs.

This paper suggests specific action steps that federal agencies can take now to eliminate or minimize administrative obstacles to data sharing that will improve access to public benefits and services for the children and families who need them. The proposed action steps fall into four main categories: increase data sharing; protect data privacy and confidentiality; create consumer-centered access; and facilitate the use of third-party partners.

This paper was commissioned by the Coalition for Access and Opportunity.