TANF

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a United States federal welfare program enacted as part of the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA). It replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and is designed to provide temporary financial assistance and services to needy families with dependent children while promoting work preparation, to achieve self-sufficiency and family stability. The program is administered at the federal level by the Department of Health and Human Services but funded as a block grant to states and tribes, which have broad discretion to design their own TANF programs within federal guidelines.

Key features and requirements include: TANF funds can be used for cash assistance and a range of services such as job preparation, job search assistance, vocational training, child care subsidies, transportation assistance, and family stabilization services. States must meet federal requirements, including cooperative arrangements with child support enforcement, work participation rate standards for recipients, and maintenance-of-effort provisions that require states to maintain certain levels of spending. A lifetime limit generally restricts federally funded benefits to 60 months for most recipients, though exemptions and waivers vary by state.

Programs under TANF are intentionally flexible, allowing states to tailor eligibility rules, benefit levels, and services to local needs, while aiming to move recipients into employment. The block-grant design means overall funding and benefit generosity can differ considerably across states and over time, subject to federal budget decisions.

Criticism and support of TANF center on funding adequacy, the rigor of time limits, and the balance between promoting work and providing essential safety net protections. Proponents emphasize work incentives, while critics point to gaps in coverage and disparities across states.