Federal TANF Policy

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Report
Chart Book: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
August 21, 2018
Blog
TANF at 22: Cash Income Is Vital to Families Living on the Edge
August 20, 2018 Tazra Mitchell
Policy Basics
Policy Basics: An Introduction to TANF
August 15, 2018
Report
House Bill to Reauthorize TANF Makes Improvements But Doesn’t Go Far Enough
May 23, 2018 LaDonna Pavetti, Ph.D. Liz Schott
Blog
President Trump’s Budget Cuts TANF Despite Stated Goal to Reduce Poverty, Boost Work
May 24, 2017 Tazra Mitchell
Report
TANF at 20: Time to Create a Program that Supports Work and Helps Families Meet Their Basic Needs
August 15, 2016 LaDonna Pavetti, Ph.D. Liz Schott
Policy Basics
President Clinton and Congress created Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) through the 1996 welfare law in an effort to “end welfare as we know it.”

TANF reaches many fewer families than it used to, and TANF benefits have lost a fifth of their value since 1996 in most states, making it very hard for families to meet basic needs. We work to strengthen TANF’s employment and safety net features.

Policy Basics: An Introduction to TANF