| Federalism and Social Welfare Policy– The Case Study of TANF
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) exemplifies a block grant
program, whereby funding for a generalized purpose is provided through the federal government but the specificity and distribution of services happens locally.
TANF Background
TANF is a cash assistance program for poor families with dependent children. Its predecessor was the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program. The original intent of AFDC was to protect widows from poverty. Two-parent families and families with out-of-wedlock children were excluded. Over time, though, AFDC enrollment became less stringent. In 1960, there were almost one million AFDC beneficiaries; by 1996, there were almost five million.
In 1996 President Bill Clinton’s act abolished AFDC and established TANF
as the new program for poor families. Perhaps the most significant difference
between AFDC and TANF is the inclusion of time limits for TANF utilization.
Under TANF, adult beneficiaries must segue from TANF to employment in a time
specified by the implementing state or risk termination of their funding. Since
its inception, from a “numbers only” perspective, TANF has been successful
in moving families off the public welfare rolls. National enrollment in TANF
dropped from almost five million in 1997 to less than two million in 2006.
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