TANF and MOE Spending and Transfers by Activity, FY 2020

Publication Date: August 25, 2021
Current as of:

The Office of Family Assistance (OFA) has posted the preliminary fiscal year (FY) 2020 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) financial data tables, along with an interactive map and national (PDF) and state pie charts (PDF).

  • In FY 2020, combined federal TANF and state maintenance-of-effort (MOE) expenditures and transfers totaled $31.6 billion. Across the United States in FY 2020:
    • 22.3 percent of TANF and MOE funds was used for basic assistance,
    • 9.7 percent was used for work, education, and training activities; and
    • 16.6 percent was used for child care (including funds transferred to the Child Care Development Fund).
  • 31 states used less than half of their TANF and MOE funds on the combination of basic assistance; work, education, and training activities; and child care.  OFA’s interactive map shows the distribution of this spending by state.
    • 30 states spent less than 20 percent of their TANF and MOE funds on basic assistance.
    • 42 states and the District of Columbia spent less than 15 percent of their TANF and MOE funds on work, education, and training activities.
  • From FY 2019 to FY 2020, the amount of funds used for basic assistance increased by $540 million and child care increased by $182 million. The amount of funds used for work, education, and training activities decreased by $182 million.

View OFA’s national (PDF) and state pie charts (PDF) for more information on how TANF and MOE funds were used in FY 2020.