Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a program that helps struggling parents with

People generally enjoy working and being productive members of society. The positive effects of the Welfare Reform Act is moving to eventually end poverty in America and promote economic growth. According to the 2005 report measuring welfare dependents “Poverty in 2003 remains much lower than in 1996, the year of passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. The official poverty rate for 2003 was 12.5 percent, compared to 13.7 percent in 1996.” ( Gil Crouse, Susan Hauan, Julia Isaacs, Kendall Swenson and Lisa Trivits, 2005 ) States that design welfare-to-work policies that emphasized getting recipients into jobs by shifting to “work-first” welfare systems can modify program rules to allow more earned income,

Although many citizens typically make enough to live and support a family, there are still cases where individuals lack the financial support needed to administer aid to their household. A few factors that hinder members of the workforce are job availability, child care necessities, transportation, and educational requirements. For example, there are people that want to work, but after expenses are paid for transportation, childcare, etc. there is very little left

First, if the government were to make welfare eligibility stricter it would impede on the attempts of those below the poverty line trying to find a job. TANF ?can free up additional dollars for work related expenses and other basic needs and thus aid families? efforts to move from welfare to work? (Sard and Daskal). It is needed to help pay for those ?necessities that often accompany employment, such as additional clothing and food costs, child care, and transportation to and from work? (Sard and Daskal). The program does not just hand out money, but provides the aid needed to ?achieve self-sufficiency? through employment (Cohn). Without the additional money for clothing, food costs, child care, and transportation, an individual would not be able to maintain employment and abide by the TANF requirements. It is evident that TANF is necessary for those individuals that live in poverty and are seeking employment. If the requirements were to become stricter, the number of the employed and those living below the poverty line would increase simultaneously.

It is usually available to families who have children that are eighteen years or younger and living at home with the parents. Over the years, the number of recipients has continued to rise tremendously. In 2012, 68 families for every 100 received TANF benefits (Kearney, 2014). However, this figure increased in 2013, with 76 families for every 100 receiving the benefits (Kearney, 2014). The largest part of this increase was indeed legal. However, of the total new membership cases, about 15 percent were fraudulent. The amount that that state used in meeting the needs of the fraudsters in 2013 is thought to have been $5 million (Esping-Andersen, 2013). The major reason for such a low incidence of welfare benefit fraud has been due to the stern law. Nevertheless, the cost foregone is still an economic wastage for Texas. Besides lowering the ability of Texas to achieve a higher economic potential, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefit fraud is critical as it denies the eligible or the legal recipients a better level of assistance. If fraud was eliminated completely, the needy would be availed with more meaningful level of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits and this would improve their social well-being

The effects of the 1996 welfare reform bill helped declined caseloads on the social and economic well-being of fragile families, single mothers, and children. Although, the welfare reform was documented for making several positive changes such as reducing poverty rates, lowering the out of-wedlock childbearing, and formulated a better family structure, it is undeniable that poverty remained high among single mothers and their children. The reality of the matter was that most welfare recipients experienced serious barriers to maintain a stable employment due to their lack of skills, not having anyone available to take care of their young children when they leave for work as well as not gaining long-time employment with decent pay to help foster the family. As a result, most poor women and children were faced with the instability of economic and social future as welfare eligibility exhausted their efforts of supporting their families.

It is not enough to provide material relief to those experiencing extreme deprivation(158). Therefore the federal government should establish and create opportunities for the poor to gain and maintain their citizenship in standard living. According to the book, "$2.00 a Day" writer Kaitlyn Edin emphasize one have the strong will to work but opportunities lack extremely, in which concede the fact that there aren't enough jobs with adequate pay, hours, and stability to go around(159). On one hand, I agree with Edin that the will of the poor is there, but the federal government should play more substantive role in getting individuals jobs.For instance, stated in the book, “In-depth interviews with 209 EITC claimants in the Northeast and Midwest in 2007 showed that while TANF receipt confers stigma and shame, claiming the EITC gives people dignity and restores their pride”(172). Also the federal government need to restore relationships in the workplace, increase wage, and prevent wage theft . For example, a successful grocery store called Market Basket located in New England starts employees off at twelve dollars an hour, offer health insurance, and paid sick to all employees(164). Creating better jobs and opportunities is the government role as it is our role to maintain a job and contribute as

The American Public never loved social welfare programs, but it did not necessarily want them dismantled. In fact, by the early 1990s, nearly 50 percent of all households drew on government benefits from Food stamps to social security to mortgage interest tax deductions.

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.

Poverty has been a problem in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for years. The introduction of TANF seemed to be a hopeful new start for families in need, but what has TANF really instituted and accomplished? After years of a system of welfare “recipients” gaining cash assistance from the government, the new system was meant to inspire welfare “participants” to actively work in order to earn their cash assistance. While TANF has been implemented across the country, it’s effect on Milwaukee has yet to show any great significance. Temporary Assistance to Needy Families is simply a reformation of the welfare system with stringent work requirements, yet lacking the employment opportunities and resources necessary to accomplish its broad range of goals, ultimately to the disadvantage of those dependent on it.

So if the poor of today earn roughly the same in current dollars as those many years ago, how do they afford their “elevated” lifestyle? The answer lies in over 200 Federal and State programs designed to support them until they are able to thrive independently. The most popular include the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Food Stamps,

The time limit on welfare would not affect the already employed single mothers as much as it would the unemployed mothers. It was found that in certain cases single mothers who were unemployed were without a job not out of personal desire to continue on governmental assistance, they just could not find a reliable job that provided them with their necessary needs in relation to the responsibilities they had with their children. A solution to the single mothers on welfare factor would be that certain applicants under critical circumstances can file for an extension in welfare, if they meet set requirements.

Policies and regulatory issues impacting obesity and access to care in the African American population have been limited due to the lack of financial and governmental support. However, public schools are required to have a mandatory physical activity class for students as an attempt to increase children recreational activity. In addition, the talk of the nationwide health care was an attempt to ensure the decrease of health disparities among the obese population. The government has provided financial support to some low-income families by a program called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families also known as TANF or food stamps. According to the Department of Social Services he TANF program provides eligible families with a monthly cash payment to meet their basic needs. For a child to be eligible he must be: under age 18, or if 18, will graduate from high school before age 19, going to school regularly if he is between the ages of five and 18, living with a parent or other relative and a U.S. citizen or an eligible immigrant. The Code of Virginia, §63.1, requires that the TANF program be administered in accordance with federal and state

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.

In 1996, the federal government came to the conclusion that the welfare system should be placed in the hands of the state governments. With this in mind, the Temporary Aid to Needy Families was established. The TANF is more governed towards getting people back into the workforce by requiring recipients to engage in job searches, and participate in community service. The previous phase of welfare was more for providing people with capital in the hopes that he/she would use it to get back on his/her feet. The TANF is still known as welfare to the public (“Government Spends”). In the new welfare program,

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.