Summary: Temporary Assistance For Needy Families

Due to problems arising out of bitter divorces, custody, and support battles fathers are ostracize out of their children’s life. Fathers are often looked at as the bad person when things go wrong and being the blame. Fathers are just as responsible for the child being born as the mother. Over the years fathers continue to fight for equal rights, mothers are looked at as the victims and often make false statements about the fathers to suit their own selfish needs. Accusations of sexual and child abuse by mothers of the noncustodial fathers are often found to be untrue.

Another problem is the fact that since the courts is not enforcing the parent to pay child support; the parent thinks that they can continue blowing it off and living their life as if nothing happened. Child support has been given a bad rep for as long as I can remember due to the fact that many people who are filed for it aren’t paying it the way they should be and it makes the parent who is actually caring for the child upset because they are left taking care of that child by themselves and left struggling.

The introduction begins with quotes from people who mention that fathers get women pregnant and then leave the woman and the child; they mention that men need to realize their responsibilities do not end with conception. The book summarizes these quotes as unwed fatherhood is one of the leading social problems, and these men are irresponsible and “hit and run.” A CBS special report, The Vanishing Family, was an interview of McSeed, a father of six from four different women. In the interview, he says the responsibility of raising the child is on the mother, not him.

Research from Israel shows that when more time is given off to new fathers, the more their brain changes to better suit them to be a parent (Thompson). Being around the new child and caring for them allows the father to share responsibilities that a baby brings along. Having time to dedicate solely to the child gives the father the ability to bond with their baby. A study by two Columbia University professors discovered that fathers who are given time off (two or more weeks) are more involved with their child’s lives in nine months, proving that better parental relationships come from paid paternity leave (“Columbia News”). Paternity leave also creates a foundation of trust between father and child, and relieves the pressure put on mothers. When fathers are around immediately after the baby is born, mothers are not forced to do all the work around the house while caring for a newborn. The two-week (or more) time frame when fathers are around would allow for a period where both parents can get settled and adapt to taking care of the child. In Sweden, to qualify for government benefits, the father is required to take off two months from work before the child becomes eight years old. More research has proven that for every month that fathers took leave to take care of their child, the income of mothers increased about 7% (Johansson, Elly-Ann). Thus, paternity leave not only benefits the newborn child, but also mothers. This paid leave can give new parents the ability to get to know their child and adapt to the new responsibilities. There are a multitude of countries that provide paid paternity leave, and the United States is one of nine counties who does not have this option. There is no reason that fathers should not have an allotted time to spend at home with their child and spouse, and so this country should mandate the option of giving paid paternity

In 1996 the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant was created as a way to provide assistance to needy families and to end the dependence on government benefits through encouraging job preparation, marriage with the formation of two parent families, and work. In reality, TANF has created a weakened safety net and provides less protection for individuals facing poverty. It grants less assistance than before to lessen poverty and the hardship that comes along with it. The policy has become more of a Band-Aid that is continually ripped off due to its sanctions and requirements revealing the same deeper issues that were there in the first place. Families are stuck in a hole of poverty where they cannot climb out of, and policies like TANF help to maintain it. Since the year 2000, poverty in the U.S has been on the rise, especially the increase in deep poverty. The number of families in deep poverty rose from 2.7 million to 3 million between 1996 and 2013. This is an extremely important issue that we are currently facing in our country. More time and effort needs to be spent on both the creation and reformation of policies like TANF to help combat this rising issue in our country.

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act also shifted the spotlight of welfare from family maintenance through government-supported financial assistance to family economic self-sufficiency through paid employment. This federal welfare reform policy known as TANF encourages employment and personal responsibility by mandating states to provide financial benefits to families on a temporary basis, having recipients participate in a work requirement while receiving aid, and providing incentives for recipients to transition off welfare. The programs name indicated its purpose and the social message to the recipient.

This paper discusses the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program that was established in 1996. It examines the development and goals of the policy as well as addresses the target population that benefits from this program. A review of the agencies associated with TANF and the benefits the program provides to its clients is also given. In addition, the funding sources of TANF are addressed. Lastly, it examines the social issue this program is meant to address.

Having children, whether planned or not, produces additional expenses for a family that some may not be prepared for. While parents don’t immediately think about long term cost when raising a child, it is shown that raising a child in American from birth to age 17, is over $241,080, and this number is expected to increase every year Covert, 2013). It is estimated that over 15 million children are living in poverty in the United States. These families encounter an imbalance in their education, health care, and socioeconomic resources (Milteer, Ginsburg, & Mulligan, 2012). These low income families must focus on their daily survival and this creates an economic hardship. Milteer et al., (2012) shows that

I would go about identifying eligible families for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, TANF, benefits by using what the requirements are for Pennsylvania residents on the TANF website. According to the TANF Program (n.d.a), “you must be a United States citizen and a resident of Pennsylvania” (para. 8) to apply for TANF benefits. If you are a “non-citizen lawfully admitted for permanent residency, you may be eligible” (TANF Program, n.d.a, para. 8) for TANF benefits. “You also must provide you and your family’s Social Security numbers” (TANF Program, n.d.a, para. 8). Another requirement is that you are to be “looking for a job or participating in an employment training program” (TANF Program, n.d.a, para. 8). Potential TANF beneficiaries “are required to help the caseworker complete an Agreement of Mutual Responsibility, which is a plan for what you will do so you no longer need cash assistance” (TANF Program, n.d.a, para. 8). If you need cash assistance for children, your children must be under age 18 or be 18 and a fulltime student (TANF Program, n.d.a). To be a recipient of TANF benefits, you must have “your children living with you and you must care for the children” (TANF Program, n.d.a, para. 8). You also must have “your resources have a value of $1,000 or less” (TANF Program, n.d.a, para. 8). You also “must report all income from employment or from other sources including, but not limited to, child support, unemployment compensation, interest, Social

I believe that people who are in need should get the proper assistance they deserve. In high school, I volunteered at a soup kitchen and saw how children struggled to obtain their basic needs and in some essence, loss a piece of their childhood. I support TANF especially since it helps families, which includes aiding children who do not have the ability to support themselves. It is hard for me to see the children suffer especially since it is no fault of their own.

It wasn’t until the 1960s and 1970s that more unmarried pregnant woman opted to keep their babies instead of putting them up for adoption (Else, A., 2012). Due to the financial pressures of sole-parenting the Domestic Proceedings Act was introduced in 1968, which required fathers to pay mothers some maintenance for

The United States federal government spent about $16.5 billion dollars each year to support the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) (“Policy” 2). This program, established in 1996, provides a block grant to the states, which use these funds to operate their own programs.

Many noncustodial parents think that they are paying too much money for child support and that the courts were unfair to them. In general the courts will base

From everyday experiences to recent news stories, I have come across many issues that large families face in America. Poverty and child abuse are top issues in the United States. For this reason, I believe the government should start regulating the number of children people can have based on financial stability, place of residence, criminal history, and other qualifications. The ideal American family image is one that provides parents that gracefully accommodate and nurture their children with open arms, financial cohesion, warm meals, and a roof over their heads. Although one might think these characteristics are a given, they are not as common as the general population widely assumes. There are many individuals deemed “unfit

Married couples make up 68% of all families with children under 18, compared to 93% in 1950 (US 2015 Census). This demonstrates that more and more children are living in households with single parents. Single parents have to deal with jobs and other sources of stress making it difficult to give their children the attention they need. Additionally, single parents are the only ones that are providing for the family so they have a lot on their plate. This can provide stress on the child because they can feel unloved or even hated. As the rate of single parents go up, so does the amount of children that are not receiving enough