The Family Room Blog

25th Anniversary of TANF

This week marks the 25th anniversary of the enactment of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. In August of 1996, TANF replaced the decades-old Aid to Families with Dependent Children program. TANF provides a flexible block grant with fixed funding and gives states, territories, and tribes wide latitude in the design of their work and cash assistance programs and in the use of TANF funds for services for children and families.  This has led to a wide range of services, benefit levels and eligibility requirements across states. The TANF statute also eliminated the federal entitlement to cash assistance, set a time limit of 60 months on the receipt of federally funded cash assistance, and requires states to engage 50 percent of all families in work activities or potentially face a monetary penalty.

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