Welfare/Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

The Sanction Epidemic in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program
(Legal Momentum - August 2010)

This report examines the serious harm financial sanctions cause TANF recipients, the vast majority of which are women and their children. It demonstrates that the sanctions are commonly utilized and imposed erroneously for extremely minor violations, resulting in undeserved hardships for families. Indeed, sanctioned TANF families often report maternal or child hunger, eviction or homelessness, and lack of medical care.

TANF Tested: Lives of Families in Poverty during the Recession
(NETWORK - July 2010)

A report from NETWORK, a national Catholic social justice lobby, takes a look at the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and its effectiveness in providing assistance to low-income families during the recession. The report, TANF Tested: Lives of Families in Poverty during the Recession, finds that TANF and similar programs were unable to reach enough needy families and help them rise above poverty. The report provides recommendations including a less complex application process for qualified families, and more education opportunities for TANF recipients.

Next Steps for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
(Urban Institute - Feb. 15, 2010)

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, the nation's primary safety net program for families with children, is due for reauthorization this year. The Urban Institute held a roundtable with experts from federal and state governments, academia, and policy organizations to explore the program's status and effectiveness. This brief summarizes major themes for reauthorization that emerged from the event.

TANF's Role in Expanding Economic Opportunity
(CLASP - April 2010)

Welfare reform debates have often centered on the question of which route is more effective to economic independence, education or work. In recent testimony before the U.S. House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security, Julie Strawn, CLASP senior fellow, described why both education and work experience are critical for economic success and recommended how the TANF system can be used to expand economic opportunity.

Not Enough: What TANF Offers Family Violence Victims
(Legal Momentum - March 17, 2010)

A report by Legal Momentum and the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence finds that many victims of family violence were unable to obtain adequate assistance from TANF when they needed it most. In the survey, a mere 14 percent of respondents said that the TANF family violence responses work well in their states, and 43 percent said fewer than half of family violence victims were able to access TANF benefits. One in four respondents said "no" when asked if family violence information disclosed by victims was handled in an appropriate way.

Goals for TANF Reauthorization
(CLASP - Jan. 6, 2010)

This policy brief from CLASP proposes two basic goals for TANF reauthorization that is to occur by Sept. 30, 2010. These are: (1) focus on alleviating poverty and preventing material hardship among children and families; and (2) create effective pathways to economic opportunity. The brief then lays out CLASP's recommendations to achieve these two goals.

Questions and Answers about the TANF Emergency Contingency Fund

This document, from the Center for Law and Social Policy, explains the opportunities for states to help low-income families using the new TANF Emergency Contingency Fund created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This version is updated to reflect the Policy Announcement issued by HHS on April 3, 2009.

The Well-Being of Children in Working Poor and Other Families: 1997 and 2004

This report by Child Trends suggests that the increase in working poor families' share of all poor families has not led to deteriorating child outcomes and indeed is more consistent with the reverse - that increased work effort among low-income families is associated with better child outcomes.

State Welfare Report Card 2008: Welfare Reform After Ten Years

This report by The Heartland Institute, ranks and grades states by the success of their anti-poverty efforts and by the reform policies they adopted. The survey measures five variables that reflect states’ success in fighting poverty and seven welfare reform policies states can adopt.

The Urban Institute recently compiled a number of materials exploring the past and future of welfare reform:

Audio Files:

Listen to government officials, human service practitioners, researchers, and analysts as they discuss and debate the past and future of welfare reform.

Fact Sheets and Reports: