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The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: Responses to Frequently Asked Questions

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The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: Responses to Frequently Asked Questions

January 2Updated May 1, 2018 (RL32760)
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Tables

Summary

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant funds a wide range of benefits and services for low-income families with children. TANF was created in the 1996 welfare reform law (P.L. 104-193). This report responds to some frequently asked questions about TANF; it does not describe TANF rules (see, instead, CRS Report RL32748, The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: A Primer on TANF Financing and Federal Requirements, by [author name scrubbed]).

TANF Funding and Expenditures. TANF provides fixed funding for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the territories, and American Indian tribes. The basic block grant totals $16.5 billion per year. States are also required in total to contribute, from their own funds, at least $10.3 billion annually under a maintenance-of-effort (MOE) requirement.

Though TANF is best known for funding cash assistance payments for needy families with children, the block grant and MOE funds are used for a wide variety of benefits and activities. In FY2015FY2016, expenditures on basic assistance totaled $7.94 billion—2524% of total federal TANF and MOE dollars. Basic assistance is often—but not exclusively—paid as cash. In addition to funding basic assistance, TANF also contributes funds for child care and services for children who have been, or are at risk of being, abused and neglected. Some states also count expenditures in pre-kindergartenprekindergarten programs toward the MOE requirement.

The TANF Assistance Caseload. A total of 1.4 million families, composed of 3.54 million recipients, received TANF- or MOE-funded cash in Marchassistance in September 2017. The bulk of the "recipients" were children—2.65 million in that month. The assistance caseload is heterogeneous. The type of family historically thought of as the "typical" assistance family—one with an unemployed adult recipient—accounted for 3532% of all families on the rolls in FY2015FY2016. Additionally, 2931% of cash assistance families had an employed adult, while 3638% of all TANF families were "child-only" and had no adult recipient. Child-only families include those with disabled adults receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), adults who are nonparents (e.g., grandparents, aunts, uncles) caring for children, and families consisting of citizen children and ineligible noncitizen parents.

Cash Assistance Benefits. TANF cash benefits are set by states. In July 20152016, the maximum monthly benefit for a family of three ranged from $923 in Alaska to $170 in Mississippi. In all states, the maximum TANF cash assistance amount for this sized family was less than 50% of poverty-level income.

Work Requirements. TANF's main federal work requirement is actually a performance measure that applies to the states, rather than individual recipients. States determine the work rules that apply to individual recipients. TANF law requires states to engage 50% of all families and 90% of two-parent families in work activities, though these standards can be reduced by "credits." Therefore, the effective standards states face are often less than the 50% or 90% targets, and vary by state. In FY2016, states achieved, on average, an all-family participation rate of 51.9% and a two-parent rate of 70.8%. In FY2016, four jurisdictions failed to meet the all-family participation standard: Colorado, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Guam. This is a reduction from FY2012, when 16 states failed that standard. In FY2016, 11 jurisdictions failed the two-parent standard. States that fail to meet work standards are at risk of being penalized by a reduction in their block grant.


The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: Responses to Frequently Asked Questions

Introduction

This report provides responses to frequently asked questions about the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. It is intended to serve as a quick reference to provide easy access to information and data. This report does not provide information on TANF program rules. For a discussion of TANF rules, see CRS Report RL32748, The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: A Primer on TANF Financing and Federal Requirements, by [author name scrubbed].

Funding and Expenditures

When Does TANF Funding Expire? Under the terms of the FY2019 continuing resolution (P.L. 115-245), federal TANF funding is scheduled to expire on December 7, 2018. How Are TANF Programs Funded?

TANF programs are funded through a combination of federal and state funds. In FY2018, TANF has two federal grants to states. The bulk of the TANF funding is in a basic block grant to the states, totaling $16.5 billion for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the territories, and American Indian tribes. There is also a contingency fund available that provides extra federal funds to states that meet certain conditions.

Additionally, states are required to expend a minimum amount of their own funds for TANF and TANF-related activities under what is known as the maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement. States are required to spend at least 75% of what they spent in FY1994 on TANF's predecessor programs. The minimum MOE amount, in total, is $10.3 billion per year for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories.

How Much Has the Value of the TANF Basic Block Grant Changed Over Time?

TANF was created in the 1996 welfare reform law, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193). A TANF basic block grant amount—both nationally and for each state—was established in the 1996 welfare reform law. The amount established in that law for the 50 Statesstates, District of Columbia, territories, and tribes was $16.6 billion in total. From FY1997 through FY2016, that amount remained the same. It was not adjusted for changes that occur over time, such as inflation, the size of the TANF assistance caseload, or changes in the poverty population. During this period, the real (inflation-adjusted) value of the block grant declined by one-third (33.1%).

Beginning with FY2017, the state family assistance grant was reduced by 0.33% from its historical levels to finance TANF-related research and technical assistance. The reduced block grant amount is $16.5 billion. In real (inflation-adjusted) terms, the FY2017 block grant was 34.7% below its value in FY1997. Table 1 shows the state family assistance grant, in both nominal (actual) and real (inflation-adjusted) dollars for each year, FY1997 through FY2017.

Table 1. TANF Basic Block Grant Funding in Table 1 shows the state family assistance grant, in both nominal (actual) and real (inflation-adjusted) dollars for each year, FY1997 through FY2017. It also shows the value of the block grant if the funding level were maintained at its current (FY2018) level and inflation is as projected by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) for FY2018 through FY2028. In real (inflation-adjusted) terms, the FY2017 block grant was 34.7% below its value in FY1997. By FY2028, the block grant would have lost almost half its value (49.8%) from FY1997. Table 1. TANF Basic Block Grant Funding in Nominal and Constant Dollars

Fiscal Year

State Family Assistance Grant: (50 States, DC, Territories, and Tribes, Billions of $)

Tribes, and Territories

State Family Assistance Grant in FY1997 Dollars (Billions of $)

Cumulative Change in the Purchasing Power of the State Family Assistance Grant

Constant 1997 Dollars Cumulative Percentage Change

1997

$16.567

$16.567

 

1998

16.567

16.300

306

-1.6%

1999

16.567

15.993

991

-3.5

2000

16.567

15.501

498

-6.4

5

2001

16.567

15.017

020

-9.4

3

2002

16.567

14.796

792

-10.7

2003

16.567

14.456

-12.7

2004

16.567

14.128

124

-14.7

2005

16.567

13.679

680

-17.4

2006

16.567

13.193

190

-20.4

2007

16.567

12.891

893

-22.2

2008

16.567

12.342

345

-25.5

2009

16.567

12.382

-25.3

2010

16.567

12.177

182

-26.5

2011

16.567

11.862

859

-28.4

2012

16.567

11.583

585

-30.1

2013

16.567

11.397

394

-31.2

2014

16.567

11.215

217

-32.3

2015

16.567

11.181

179

-32.5

2016

16.567

11.078

082

-33.1

2017

16.512

10.819

820

-34.7

Projections based on the Congressional Budget Office 10-Year Economic Projections, April 2018

2018

16.512

10.585

-36.1

2019

16.512

10.365

-37.4

2020

16.512

10.124

-38.9

2021

16.512

9.870

-40.4

2022

16.512

9.634

-41.9

2023

16.512

9.403

-43.2

2024

16.512

9.178

-44.6

2025

16.512

8.964

-45.9

2026

16.512

8.760

-47.1

2027

16.512

8.555

-48.4

2028

16.512

8.361

-49.5

-34.7

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Notes: Constant dollars were computed using the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U).

How Have States Used TANF Funds?

Figure 1 shows the uses of federal TANF grants to states and state MOE funds in FY2015. In FY2015FY2016. In FY2016, a total of $31.730.9 billion of both federal TANF and state MOE expenditures were either expended or transferred to other block grant programs. Basic assistance, ongoing benefits to families to meet basic needs, represented 2524% ($7.94 billion) of total FY2015FY2016 TANF and MOE dollars.

TANF is a major contributor of child care funding. In FY2015FY2016, $5.31 billion (17% of all TANF and MOE funds) were either expended on child care or transferred to the child care block grant (the Child Care and Development Fund, or CCDF). TANF work-related activities (including education and training) waswere the third -largest TANF and MOE spending category at $2.78 billion, or 89% of total TANF and MOE funds. TANF also helps low-wage parents by helping to finance state refundable tax credits, such as state add-ons to the Earned Income Tax Credit. TANF and MOE expenditures on refundable tax credits in FY2015FY2016 totaled $2.68 billion, or 89% of total TANF and MOE spending.

TANF is also a major contributor to the child welfare system, which provides foster care, adoption assistance, and services to families with children who either have experienced or are at risk of experiencing child abuse or neglect. This was the fifth largest TANF spending category at $2.3 billion, or 7.4% of all TANF and MOE spending. TANF also helps fund state pre-Kindergarten (pre-K) programs, short-term and emergency benefits,, spending about $2.3 billion on such activities. TANF and MOE funds also help fund state prekindergarten (pre-K) programs, with total FY2016 expenditures for that category also at $2.3 billion. TANF and MOE funds are also used for short-term and emergency benefits and a wide range of other social services.

Figure 1. Uses of TANF and MOE Funds, FY2015

Funds by Spending Category, FY2016

(Total = $31.7 BillionDollars in billions)

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Note: Notes: Detail doesmay not add to totals because of rounding.

For state-specific information on the use of TANF funds, see Table B-1 and Table B-2

.

How Much of the TANF Grant Has Gone Unspent?

TANF law permits states to "reserve" unused funds without time limit. This permits flexibility in timing of the use of TANF funds, including the ability to "save" funds for unexpected occurrences that might increase costs (such as recessions or natural disasters).

At the end of FY2015FY2016 (September 30, 20152016, the latestmost recent data currently available), a total of $4.17 billion of federal TANF funding remained neither transferred nor spent. However, some of these unspent funds represent monies that states had already committed to spend later. At the end of FY2015FY2016, states had made such commitments to spend—that is, had obligated—a total of $1.47 billion. At the end of FY2015FY2016, states had $2.63.0 billion of "unobligated balances." These funds are available to states to make new spending commitments. Table B-3 shows unspent TANF funds by state.

The Caseload

How Many Families Receive TANF- or MOE-Funded Benefits and  Services?

This number is not known. Federal TANF reporting requirements focus on families receiving only ongoing assistance. There is no complete reporting on families receiving other TANF benefits and services.

Assistance is defined as benefits provided to families to meet ongoing, basic needs.1 It is most often paid in cash. However, some states use TANF or MOE funds to provide an "earnings supplement" to working parents added to monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allotments, or provide. These "earnings supplements" are paid separately from the regular TANF cash assistance program. Additionally, TANF MOE dollars are used to fund food assistance for immigrants barred from regular SNAP benefits in certain states. This formThese forms of nutrition aid meetsmeet an ongoing need, and thus isare considered TANF assistance.

As discussed in a previous section of this report, TANF basic assistance accounts for about 2524% of all TANF expenditures. Therefore, the federal reporting requirements that pertain to families receiving "assistance" are likely to undercount the number of families receiving any TANF-funded benefit or service.

How Many Families and People Currently Receive TANF- or MOE-Funded "Assistance"?

Table 2 provides assistance caseload information. A total of 1.4 million families, composed of 3.54 million recipients, received TANF- or MOE-funded assistance in MarchSeptember 2017. The bulk of the "recipients" were children—2.65 million in that month. (The September 2017 data exclude Puerto Rico.) For state-by-state assistance caseloads, see Table B-4.

Table 2. TANF Assistance Caseload: MarchSeptember 2017

Families

1,385,775

354,901

Recipients

3,523,172

410,086

Children

Child Recipients

2,562,386

481,584

Adults

Adult Recipients

960,786

928,502

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Notes: TANF cash assistance caseload includes families receiving assistance in state-funded programs counted toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement.

How Does the Current Assistance Caseload Level Compare with Historical Levels?

Figure 2 provides a long-term historical perspective on the number of families receiving assistance, from July 1959 to MarchSeptember 2017. Before 1997, these are families that received cash assistance from the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program. From 1997 onward, these are families that received assistance from TANF.

The shaded areas of the figure represent months when the national economy was in recession. Though the health of the national economy affected the trend in the cash assistance caseload, the long-term trend in receipt of cash assistance does not follow a classic counter-cyclicalcountercyclical pattern. Such a pattern would have the caseload rise during economic slumps, and then fall again during periods of economic growth. Factors other than the health of the economy (demographic trends, policy changes) also influenced the caseload trend.

The figure shows two periods of sustained caseload increases: the period from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s and a second period from 1988 to 1994. The number of families receiving assistance peaked in March 1994 at 5.1 million families. The assistance caseload fell rapidly in the late 1990s (after the 1996 welfare reform law) before leveling off in 2001. In 2004, the caseload began another decline, albeit at a slower pace than in the late 1990s. During the recent 2007-2009 recession and its aftermath, the caseload began to rise from 1.7 million families in August 2008, peaking in December 2010 at close to 2.0 million families. In MarchSeptember 2017, the assistance caseload had declined to 1.4 million families.

Figure 2. Number of Families Receiving Cash Assistance, July 1959-MarchSeptember 2017

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) with data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Notes: Shaded areas denote months when the national economy was in recession. Information represents families receiving cash assistance from Aid to Dependent Children (ADC), Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), and TANF. For October 1999 through MarchSeptember 2017, includes families receiving assistance from Separate State Programs (SSPs) with expenditures countable toward the TANF maintenance of effort requirement. See Table A-1 for average annual data on families, recipients, adult recipients, and child recipients of ADC, AFDC, and TANF cash assistance for 1961 to 20172016.

Table B-5 shows recent trends in the number of cash assistance families by state.

What Are the Characteristics of Families Receiving TANF Assistance?

Historically, the "typical" family receiving assistance has been headed by a single parent (usually the mother) with one or two children. The single parent has also typically been unemployed. However, the assistance caseload decline has occurred together with a major shift in the composition of the rolls. Figure 3 shows the change in the size and composition of the assistance caseload under both AFDC (1988 and 1994) and under TANF. In FY1988, an estimated 84% of AFDC families were headed by an unemployed adult recipient. In FY2015FY2016, families with an unemployed adult recipient represented 3532% of all cash assistance families. This decline occurred, in large part, as the number of families headed by unemployed adult recipients declined more rapidly than other components of the assistance caseload. In FY1994, a monthly average of 3.8 million families per month who received AFDC cash assistance had adult recipients who were not working. In FY2015FY2016, a monthly average of 578485,000 families per month had adult recipients or work-eligible individuals, with no adult recipient or work-eligible individual working.

With the decline in families headed by unemployed adults, the share of the caseload that represent families with employed adults and "child only" families has increased. In FY2015FY2016, families with employed adult recipients represented 2931% of all assistance families. This category includes families in "earnings supplement" programs separate from the regular TANF cash assistance program. "Child-only" families are those where no adult recipient receives benefits in their own right; the family receives benefits on behalf of its children. The share of the caseload that was child-only in FY2015FY2016 was 3638%. In FY2015FY2016, families with a non-recipient, non-parentnonrecipient, nonparent relative (grandparents, aunts, uncles) represented 1314% of all assistance families. Families with ineligible, noncitizen adults or adults who have not reported their citizenship status made up 1011% of the assistance caseload in that year. Families where the parent received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and the children received TANF made up 9% of all assistance families in FY2015FY2016.

Figure 3. Characteristics of Assistance Families,
Selected Years FY1988 to FY2015

FY2016

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) tabulations of the TANF national data files.

Notes: TANF cash assistance caseload includes families receiving assistance in state-funded programs counted toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement.

TANF Cash Benefits: How Much Does a Family Receive in TANF Cash Per Month?

There are no federal rules that help determine the amount of TANF cash benefits paid to a family. (There are also no federal rules that require states to use TANF to pay cash benefits, though all states do so.) Benefit amounts are determined solely by the states.

Most states base TANF cash benefit amounts on family size, paying larger cash benefits to larger families on the presumption that they have greater financial needs. The maximum monthly cash benefit is usually paid to a family that receives no other income (e.g., no earned or unearned income) and complies with program rules. Families with income other than TANF often are paid a reduced benefit. Moreover, some families are financially sanctioned for failure to meet a program requirement (e.g., a work requirement), and are also paid a lower benefit.

Figure 4 shows the maximum monthly TANF cash benefit by state for a single mother caring for two children (family of three) in July 20152016.2 The benefit amounts shown are those for a single-parent family with two children.3 For a family of three, the maximum TANF benefit paid in July 20152016 varied from $170 per month in Mississippi to $923 per month in Alaska. The map shows a regional pattern to the maximum monthly benefit paid, with lower benefit amounts in the South than in other regions. In all states, the maximum TANF cash assistance amount for this sized family was less than 50% of poverty-level income.4

Figure 4. TANF Cash Assistance Maximum Monthly Benefit Amounts for a Single Parent Family with Two Children, 50 States and the District of Columbia, July 2015

2016

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the Urban Institute's Welfare Rules Database. The welfare rules database has information for the 50 Statesstates and District of Columbia. It does not have information on TANF assistance programs in Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands or tribal TANF programs.

TANF Work Participation Standards

TANF's main federal work requirement is actually a performance measure that applies to the states, rather than individual recipients. States determine the work rules that apply to individual recipients.

What Is the TANF Work Participation Standard States Must Meet?

The TANF statute requires states to have 50% of their caseload meet standards of participation in work or activities—that is, a family member must be in specified activities for a minimum number of hours.5 There is a separate participation standard that applies to the two-parent portion of a state's caseload, requiring 90% of the state's two-parent caseload to meet participation standards. States that fail the TANF work participation standards are at risk of being penalized by a reduction in their block grant amounts.

However, the statutory work participation standards are reduced by a "caseload reduction credit." The caseload reduction credit reduces the participation standard one percentage point for each percentage point decline in a state's caseload. Additionally, under a regulatory provision, a state may get "extra" credit for caseload reduction if it spends more than required under the TANF MOE. Therefore, the effective standards states face are often less than the 50% and 90% targets, and vary by state and by year.

States that fail to meet the TANF work participation standard are at risk of being penalized through a reduction in their block grant. However, penalties can be forgiven if a state claims, and the Secretary of HHS finds, that it had "reasonable cause" for failing the standard. Penalties can also be forgiven for states that enter into "corrective compliance plans," and subsequently meet the work standard.

Have There Been Changes in the Work Participation Rules Enacted Since the 1996 Welfare Reform Law?

The 50% and 90% target standards that states face, as well as the caseload reduction credit, date back to the 1996 welfare reform law. However, the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA, P.L. 109-171) made several changes to the work participation rules effective in FY2007:

  • The caseload reduction credit was changed to measure caseload reduction from FY2005, rather than the original law's FY1995.
  • The work participation standards were broadened to include families receiving cash aid in "separate state programs." Separate state programs are programs run with state funds, distinct from a state's "TANF program," but with expenditures countable toward the TANF MOE.
  • HHS was instructed to provide definition to the allowable TANF work activities listed in law. HHS was also required to define what is meant by a "work-eligible" individual, expanding the number of families that are included in the work participation calculation.
  • States were required to develop plans and procedures to verify work activities.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA, P.L. 111-5), a law enacted in response to the sharp economic downturn of 2007-2009, held states "harmless" for caseload increases affecting the work participation standards for FY2009 through FY2011. It did so by allowing states to "freeze" caseload reduction credits at pre-recession levels through the FY2011 standards.

What Work Participation Rates Have the States Achieved?

HHS computes two work participation rates for each state that are then compared with the effective (after-credit) standard to determine if it has met the TANF work standard. An "all-families" work participation rate is computed and compared with the all-families effective standard (50% minus the state's caseload reduction credit). HHS also computes a two-parent work participation rate that is compared with the two-parent effective standard (90% minus the state's caseload reduction credit).

Figure 5 shows the national average all-families work participation rate for FY2002 through FY2016. For the period FY2002 through FY2011, states achieved an average all-families work participation rate hovering around 30%. The work participation rate increased since then. In FY2016, it exceeded 50% for the first time since TANF was established. However, it is important to note that the increase in the work participation rate has not come from an increase in the number of recipients in regular TANF assistance programs who are either working or in job preparation activities. This increase stems mostly from states creating new "earnings supplement" programs that use TANF funds to aid working parents in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) or who have left the regular TANF assistance programs for work.6

Figure 5. National Average TANF Work Participation Rate for All Families, FY2002-FY2016

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

How Many Jurisdictions Have Failed the All-Families Standard?

Table 3 shows which states failed the TANF all-families work participation standards from FY2005 through FY2016. Before FY2007, the first year that DRA was effective, only a few jurisdictions failed to meet TANF all-families work participation standards. However, in FY2007, 15 jurisdictions failed to meet the all-families standard. FY2007 was the first year in which policies under the DRA were effective. This number declined to 9 in FY2008 and 8 in FY2009.

In FY2012, despite the uptick in the national average work participation rate, 16 states failed to meet the all-family standard, the largest number of states that did not meet their participation standards in any one year since the enactment of TANF. FY2012 was the year that ARRA's "freeze" of the caseload reduction credit expired, and states were generally required to meet higher standards than in previous years.

The number of jurisdictions that failed to meet the all-families standard declined over the FY2012 to FY2016 period. In FY2016, four jurisdictions failed to meet the all-family participation standard: Colorado, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Guam.

Table 3. States Failing TANF All-Families Work Participation Standard: FY2002-FY2016

(Changes to TANF Work Participation Standard Rules Under the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) Effective in FY2007)

 

Pre-DRA

Post-DRA

State

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Alabama

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alaska

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

 

Arizona

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arkansas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

California

 

 

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

 

 

Colorado

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

X

X

X

X

Connecticut

 

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Delaware

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

District of Columbia

 

 

 

 

X

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

Florida

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Georgia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hawaii

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Idaho

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

 

Illinois

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indiana

X

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Iowa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kansas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kentucky

 

 

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Louisiana

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maine

 

 

X

X

X

X

X

X

 

 

 

 

Maryland

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Massachusetts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michigan

 

 

X

X

 

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

Minnesota

 

 

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mississippi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Missouri

 

 

 

X

X

 

X

X

X

 

 

 

Montana

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nebraska

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nevada

 

 

X

 

 

 

 

X

X

X

X

X

New Hampshire

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Jersey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Mexico

 

 

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New York

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

North Carolina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

North Dakota

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ohio

 

 

X

X

X

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

Oklahoma

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oregon

 

 

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

 

 

 

Pennsylvania

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

X

 

 

Puerto Rico

 

 

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

 

 

Rhode Island

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

 

South Carolina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

 

South Dakota

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tennessee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Texas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Utah

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vermont

 

 

X

 

 

 

 

X

X

X

X

 

Virginia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

 

Washington

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

X

X

 

 

West Virginia

 

 

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wisconsin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

X

X

X

X

Wyoming

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guam

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Virgin Islands

 

 

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Totals

2

3

15

9

8

8

9

16

11

9

5

4

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Have States Met the Two-Parent Work Participation Standard?

In addition to meeting a work standard for all families, TANF also imposes a second, 90% standard for the two-parent portion of its cash assistance caseload. This percentage too can be lowered by caseload reduction.

Table 4 shows whether each state met its two-parent work participation standard for FY2005 through FY2016. However, the display on the table is more complex than that for reporting whether a state failed its "all family" rate.

A substantial number of states have reported no two-parent families subject to the work participation standard. These states are denoted on the table with an "NA," indicating that the two-parent standard was not applicable to the state in that year. Before the changes made by the DRA were effective, a number of states had their two-parent families in separate state programs that were not included in the work participation calculation. When DRA brought families receiving assistance in separate state programs into the work participation rate calculations, a number of states moved these families into solely state-funded programs. These are state-funded programs with expenditures not countable toward the TANF maintenance of effort requirement, and hence are outside of TANF's rules.

For states with two-parent families in its caseloadtheir caseloads, the table reports "Yes" for states that met the two-parent standard, and "No" for states that failed the two-parent standard. Of the 28 jurisdictions that had two-parent families in their FY2016 TANF work participation calculation, 17 met the standard and 11 did not.

Table 4. Two-Parent TANF Work Participation Standard, Status by State: FY2002-FY2016

("Yes" indicates a state met the standard; "No" indicates the state failed to meet the standard; and "NA" means the standard was not applicable to the state in that year [no two-parent families in its caseload].)

 

Pre-DRA

Post DRA

State

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Alabama

NA

NA

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Alaska

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

Arizona

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Arkansas

YES

NO

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

YES

YES

California

NA

NA

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

Colorado

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

Connecticut

NA

NA

YES

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Delaware

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

District of Columbia

NO

NO

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Florida

NA

NA

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

YES

YES

Georgia

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Hawaii

NA

NA

NA

YES

NA

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Idaho

YES

YES

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Illinois

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Indiana

NA

NA

NO

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

YES

YES

Iowa

NA

NA

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

YES

YES

Kansas

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

YES

YES

Kentucky

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

Louisiana

YES

YES

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Maine

NA

NA

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

YES

Maryland

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Massachusetts

YES

NA

NA

YES

YES

YES

NA

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Michigan

YES

YES

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Minnesota

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Mississippi

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Missouri

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Montana

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

YES

Nebraska

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Nevada

NA

NA

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

New Hampshire

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

New Jersey

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

New Mexico

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

YES

YES

New York

YES

YES

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

North Carolina

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

North Dakota

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Ohio

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

YES

Oklahoma

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Oregon

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NA

YES

YES

YES

Pennsylvania

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Puerto Rico

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Rhode Island

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

South Carolina

YES

YES

YES

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

South Dakota

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Tennessee

NA

NA

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NA

NO

NO

NO

NO

Texas

NA

NA

YES

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Utah

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Vermont

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

YES

Virginia

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Washington

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

YES

West Virginia

NA

NA

NO

NA

NA

YES

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Wisconsin

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

Wyoming

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

Guam

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

Virgin Islands

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Number of Jurisdictions without Two-Parent Families

29

29

24

26

27

25

27

27

27

26

26

26

Number of Jurisdictions with Two-Parent Families

25

25

30

28

27

29

27

27

27

28

28

28

Number of Jurisdictions Meeting Two-Parent Standard

23

21

22

22

20

23

22

7

9

10

13

17

Number of Jurisdictions Failing Two-Parent Standard

2

3

7

6

7

6

5

20

18

18

15

11

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Appendix A. Supplementary Tables

Table A-1. Trends in the Cash Assistance Caseload: 1961 to 2016

 

 

 

 

 

TANF Child Recipients

Year

Families (millions)

Recipients (millions)

Adults (millions)

Children (millions)

As a Percentage of All Children

As a Percentage of All Poor Children

1961

0.873

3.363

0.765

2.598

3.7%

14.3%

1962

0.939

3.704

0.860

2.844

4.0

15.7

1963

0.963

3.945

0.988

2.957

4.1

17.4

1964

1.010

4.195

1.050

3.145

4.3

18.6

1965

1.060

4.422

1.101

3.321

4.5

21.5

1966

1.096

4.546

1.112

3.434

4.7

26.5

1967

1.220

5.014

1.243

3.771

5.2

31.2

1968

1.410

5.702

1.429

4.274

5.9

37.8

1969

1.696

6.689

1.716

4.973

6.9

49.7

1970

2.207

8.462

2.250

6.212

8.6

57.7

1971

2.763

10.242

2.808

7.435

10.4

68.5

1972

3.048

10.944

3.039

7.905

11.1

74.9

1973

3.148

10.949

3.046

7.903

11.2

79.9

1974

3.219

10.847

3.041

7.805

11.2

75.0

1975

3.481

11.319

3.248

8.071

11.8

71.2

1976

3.565

11.284

3.302

7.982

11.8

76.2

1977

3.568

11.015

3.273

7.743

11.6

73.9

1978

3.517

10.551

3.188

7.363

11.2

72.8

1979

3.509

10.312

3.130

7.181

11.0

68.0

1980

3.712

10.774

3.355

7.419

11.5

63.2

1981

3.835

11.079

3.552

7.527

11.7

59.2

1982

3.542

10.358

3.455

6.903

10.8

49.6

1983

3.686

10.761

3.663

7.098

11.1

50.1

1984

3.714

10.831

3.687

7.144

11.2

52.3

1985

3.701

10.855

3.658

7.198

11.3

54.4

1986

3.763

11.038

3.704

7.334

11.5

56.0

1987

3.776

11.027

3.661

7.366

11.5

56.4

1988

3.749

10.915

3.586

7.329

11.4

57.8

1989

3.798

10.992

3.573

7.419

11.5

57.9

1990

4.057

11.695

3.784

7.911

12.1

57.9

1991

4.497

12.930

4.216

8.715

13.2

59.8

1992

4.829

13.773

4.470

9.303

13.9

59.9

1993

5.012

14.205

4.631

9.574

14.1

60.0

1994

5.033

14.161

4.593

9.568

13.9

61.7

1995

4.791

13.418

4.284

9.135

13.1

61.5

1996

4.434

12.321

3.928

8.600

12.3

58.7

1997

3.740

10.376

NA

NA

10.0

50.1

1998

3.050

8.347

NA

NA

8.1

42.9

1999

2.578

6.924

NA

NA

6.7

39.4

2000

2.303

6.143

1.655

4.479

6.1

38.1

2001

2.192

5.717

1.514

4.195

5.7

35.3

2002

2.187

5.609

1.479

4.119

5.6

33.6

2003

2.180

5.490

1.416

4.063

5.5

31.3

2004

2.153

5.342

1.362

3.969

5.4

30.2

2005

2.061

5.028

1.261

3.756

5.1

28.9

2006

1.906

4.582

1.120

3.453

4.6

26.7

2007

1.730

4.075

0.956

3.119

4.2

23.2

2008

1.701

4.005

0.946

3.059

4.1

21.6

2009

1.838

4.371

1.074

3.296

4.4

21.2

2010

1.919

4.598

1.163

3.435

4.6

20.9

2011

1.907

4.557

1.149

3.408

4.6

20.9

2012

1.852

4.402

1.104

3.298

4.4

20.3

2013

1.726

4.042

0.993

3.050

4.1

19.1

2014

1.650

3.957

1.007

2.950

4.0

18.9

2015

1.609

4.126

1.155

2.971

4.0

20.4

2016

1.488

3.785

1.044

2.741

3.7

20.6

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Census Bureau.

Notes: NA denotes not available. During transition reporting from AFDC to TANF, caseload statistics on adult and child recipients were not collected. For those years, TANF children as a percent of all children and percent of all poor children were estimated by HHS and published in Welfare Indicators and Risk Factors, Annual Report to Congress, Table TANF 2, p. A-7. See http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/14/indicators/rpt_indicators.pdf.

Table A-2. Families Receiving AFDC/TANF Cash Assistance by Family Category, Selected Years, FY1988 to FY2015

FY2016

4,775

100.0

 

1988

1994

2001

2006

2013

2015

2016

Adult Recipient or Work-Eligible Parent/Not Working

3,136,566

3,798,997

992,445

825,490

781,473

578,482

484,959

Adult Recipient or Work-Eligible Parent/Working

243,573

378,620

420,794

259,001

302,079

467,298

465,199

Child-Only/SSI Parent

59,988

171,391

171,951

176,670

156,215

141,176

132,338

Child-Only/Noncitizen Parent

47,566

184,397

125,900

153,445

196,103

162,418

153,717

Child-Only/Other Ineligible Parent

51,764

146,227

91,447

158,113

Child-Only/Caretaker Relative

188,598

328,290

255,984

261,944

234,499

208,836

208,202

Child-Only/Other

Unknown

71,661

19,897

184,567

235,282

38,341

280,851

143,834

79,054

122,738

77,872

74,410

Totals

3,747,952

5,046,263

2,202,356

1,957,402

1,749,424

1,636,082

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adult Recipient or Work-Eligible Parent/Not Working

83.7%

75.3%

45.1%

42.2%

44.7%

35.4%

Adult Recipient or Work-Eligible Parent/Working

6.5

7.5

19.1

13.2

17.3

28.6

Child-Only/SSI Parent

1.6

3.4

7.8

9.0

8.9

8.6

Child-Only/Noncitizen Parent

1.3

3.7

5.7

7.8

11.2

9.9

Child-Only/Caretaker Relative

5.0

6.5

11.6

13.4

13.4

12.8

Child-Only/Other

1.9

3.7

10.7

14.3

4.5

4.8

Totals

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

523,600

Percentage of All Families Receiving Assistance

Adult Recipient or Work-Eligible Parent/Not Working

83.7%

75.3%

45.1%

42.2%

31.8%

Adult Recipient or Work-Eligible Parent/Working

6.5

7.5

19.1

13.2

30.5

Child-Only/SSI Parent

1.6

3.4

7.8

9.0

8.7

Child-Only/Noncitizen Parent

1.3

3.7

5.7

7.8

10.1

Child-Only/Other Ineligible Parent

1.4

2.9

4.2

8.1

0.3

Child-Only/Caretaker Relative

5.0

6.5

11.6

13.4

13.7

Child-Only/Unknown

0.5

0.8

6.5

6.3

4.9

Totals

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) tabulations of the FY1988 and FY1994 AFDC Quality Control (QC) data files and the FY2001, FY2006, FY2013, and FY2015and FY2016 TANF National Data Files.

Notes: FY2001 through FY2015FY2016 data include families receiving assistance from separate state programs (SSPs) with expenditures countable toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement. For FY2013 and FY2015FY2016, TANF families with an adult recipient include those families with "work-eligible" non-recipientnonrecipient parents. These include non-recipientnonrecipient parents who have been time-limited or sanctioned off the rolls, but the family continues to receive a reduced benefit. For FY2001 and FY2006, such families cannot be identified and are classified as "child-only" families.

Appendix B. State Tables

Table B-1. Use of FY2015FY2016 TANF and MOE Funds by Category

(Dollars in millions)

Pre-K/Head Start

State

Basic Assistance

Child Care

Administration

Work (including, Education and Training)

Refundable Tax Credits

Child Care

Child Welfare Services

Refundable Tax Credit

Administra-tion

Pre-Kindergarten and Early Childhood

Short-Term (and Emergency) Benefits

Emergency and Other Services

Child Welfare

Other Benefits and Services

Total

Totals

Alabama

31.559

$25.673

5.881

$10.716

3.517

$4.166

0.000

$24.443

29.767

$0.000

13.982

$45.788

16.470

$23.217

27.277

$14.879

41.509

$32.467

169.961

$181.348

Alaska

46.192

39.416

18.604

10.291

10.042

6.957

0.000

24.095

0.000

4.410

0.000

0.000

0.016

000

8.112

5.832

87.377

86.590

Arizona

52.908

44.728

2.718

43.835

1.542

571

0.000

2.718

250.709

0.000

54.467

8.196

0.000

216.556

32.307

0.000

78.325

65.555

472.975

383.158

Arkansas

9.212

7.039

0.385

15.988

15.905

460

0.000

7.998

0.000

15.713

4.998

90.559

0.000

7.215

96.595

5.323

452

144.312

153.530

California

2,838.727

632.009

896.083

595.132

1,062.483

325.725

0.000

536.249

0.976

100

587.709

244.937

0.000

242.658

0.000

1,009.655

046.762

6,638.290

380.914

Colorado

76.899

74.789

4.126

22.697

10.735

9.085

4.768

16.025

44.076

76.732

17.434

21.754

62.943

44.081

8.116

63.827

72.528

50.696

301.625

379.687

Connecticut

69.820

59.229

56.293

44.949

16.374

13.953

0.000

25.536

55.229

0.000

43.249

17.779

83.617

56.826

12.964

84.709

167.081

165.688

504.628

468.669

Delaware

21.009

19.612

50.595

4.873

6.026

4.951

0.000

71.534

0.000

5.731

4.673

0.000

2.461

0.000

13.035

10.925

98.857

116.568

District of Columbia

76.761

99.550

59.532

7.428

38.161

149

20.000

59.532

0.000

30.197

6.301

52.684

0.000

51.742

0.000

14.395

15.469

266.893

303.010

Florida

177.244

167.513

301.641

51.111

47.358

45.918

0.000

349.813

270.946

0.000

81.396

0.953

0.000

263.112

0.836

000

69.163

83.834

948.584

962.254

Georgia

96.903

83.569

22.183

11.886

12.488

13.911

0.000

22.183

280.016

0.000

17.587

0.106

0.000

258.207

0.074

000

110.109

105.652

539.359

495.513

Hawaii

52.319

42.384

4.972

17.292

98.200

68.408

0.000

4.972

2.157

0.000

16.607

0.466

0.000

5.076

0.714

000

98.529

77.140

273.496

215.739

Idaho

7.793

917

10.178

6.049

5.130

4.412

0.000

13.007

1.477

0.000

5.362

11.923

1.606

402

10.372

1.468

1.343

804

43.261

47.983

Illinois

68.487

53.514

868.183

0.119

21.026

18.178

42.608

626.259

232.846

60.022

2.498

0.564

46.154

225.359

0.916

40.763

92.100

82.838

1,374.817

107.617

Indiana

20.433

18.558

100.591

25.658

15.036

8.487

31.910

103.562

0.000

32.034

23.670

0.000

0.000

17.596

0.000

103.600

96.207

295.239

302.102

Iowa

40.449

353

49.326

7.771

12.976

402

26.899

48.774

51.987

26.755

8.066

0.251

0.000

50.229

0.203

000

28.880

26.942

218.787

213.477

Kansas

19.610

16.403

14.173

11.533

3.358

2.143

46.863

6.673

23.266

46.157

9.042

0.000

14.105

23.769

0.001

13.441

31.994

34.450

162.413

154.569

Kentucky

139.796

144.001

46.770

13.694

32.697

30.805

0.000

26.724

0.000

14.393

0.000

0.000

0.000

20.486

16.521

254.142

231.746

Louisiana

18.827

19.661

5.219

18.170

28.558

32.730

16.973

6.881

30.547

14.981

16.300

12.322

68.485

31.823

11.126

64.197

33.824

31.572

229.860

232.337

Maine

40.490

30.478

9.595

5.886

3.091

1.571

2.815

8.719

1.237

0.085

5.298

3.900

5.387

7.501

4.458

5.321

12.851

24.995

85.221

88.456

Maryland

111.435

123.423

25.868

21.051

33.560

30.833

161.702

30.877

33.302

158.859

31.159

37.539

86.193

28.663

66.979

73.817

51.579

53.587

601.779

558.650

Massachusetts

266.156

231.105

331.905

34.640

176.099

169.265

115.985

334.610

14.941

115.539

34.693

105.971

0.861

16.945

96.741

4.111

74.787

70.753

1,112.168

082.940

Michigan

149.705

130.839

21.546

58.433

4.651

3.934

45.843

19.529

93.908

42.678

56.999

64.623

205.124

90.386

70.940

221.614

726.223

718.293

1,374.939

350.331

Minnesota

84.902

93.051

135.224

46.944

56.428

50.921

174.884

170.102

0.000

169.996

39.776

26.770

5.700

0.000

29.592

5.700

19.344

18.291

545.849

581.775

Mississippi

11.350

9.674

19.069

5.223

16.581

20.110

0.000

20.069

16.847

0.000

3.297

0.000

0.000

16.068

0.000

26.735

456

93.879

97.599

Missouri

77.131

51.610

44.460

7.614

26.795

27.677

0.000

51.463

0.000

5.813

79.841

0.000

89.489

174.879

0.000

90.772

69.231

419.851

376.925

Montana

16.612

19.833

10.351

5.463

12.236

11.737

0.000

10.450

1.614

0.000

5.203

2.910

0.000

2.164

2.528

0.000

4.186

910

52.729

57.467

Nebraska

23.968

26.953

23.499

5.092

15.142

14.552

36.792

23.499

4.337

36.364

5.024

0.000

0.000

3.549

0.000

0.238

219

109.001

110.228

Nevada

45.851

44.515

0.000

8.833

1.125

0.054

0.000

16.034

0.000

11.292

0.000

0.000

26.396

0.000

32.539

14.840

90.806

110.673

New Hampshire

19.310

13.661

8.782

7.457

6.755

5.022

0.000

8.782

3.227

0.000

9.889

2.202

0.000

484

2.727

0.000

10.321

7.966

61.010

45.575

New Jersey

190.506

121.620

111.917

55.663

85.038

79.950

195.071

152.079

0.000

305.570

59.376

16.543

455.799

0.000

15.912

506.244

69.108

65.049

1,182.726

302.718

New Mexico

52.746

59.148

30.528

7.805

11.031

14.067

48.312

30.528

0.174

75.835

7.795

0.000

6.100

0.834

0.000

17.100

79.176

78.299

235.862

283.615

New York

1,574.483

565.709

414.270

394.093

158.663

124.771

1,510.254

479.059

337.151

1,485.103

390.079

230.126

233.737

273.513

221.423

466.203

625.341

341.594

5,465.402

360.172

North Carolina

52.293

45.902

190.761

40.969

8.711

6.023

0.000

179.753

121.121

0.000

43.838

4.486

100.552

110.940

4.919

109.638

45.104

36.914

567.301

534.625

North Dakota

4.751

307

1.113

4.038

3.363

574

0.000

1.089

23.851

0.000

4.180

0.017

0.000

25.478

0.018

000

1.336

430

38.612

39.933

Ohio

270.717

256.517

378.295

120.022

69.988

82.192

0.000

419.214

7.248

0.001

122.117

62.577

0.000

8.886

55.329

0.000

163.747

176.524

1,067.440

125.932

Oklahoma

28.345

32.545

76.617

17.806

12.011

11.369

0.000

78.831

17.500

0.000

18.933

4.741

11.796

17.449

8.027

12.006

41.533

37.516

214.761

212.262

Oregon

126.404

101.264

12.964

38.419

20.251

19.370

2.022

13.301

8.048

2.711

49.411

29.170

8.116

10.987

30.826

8.730

89.697

86.393

347.739

310.344

Pennsylvania

284.168

229.318

435.783

81.436

105.437

96.949

0.000

568.370

0.000

82.782

14.682

0.000

14.717

0.000

169.080

167.807

1,091.966

158.561

Rhode Island

20.369

26.932

29.282

15.863

9.674

10.943

6.376

34.338

0.000

18.501

12.597

32.583

0.000

35.516

0.000

800

88.772

12.015

167.070

187.491

South Carolina

40.791

41.717

4.085

24.108

18.089

19.920

0.000

4.085

0.000

22.416

0.000

0.000

0.000

27.966

94.975

81.731

180.356

199.527

South Dakota

14.025

13.309

0.803

2.892

3.988

918

0.000

803

0.919

000

2.928

865

0.000

1.371

2.912

0.000

3.165

120

28.741

278

Tennessee

82.102

71.412

31.977

26.534

32.785

20.849

0.000

19.060

0.000

35.826

0.000

61.801

0.000

0.000

48.107

11.885

1.535

256.376

187.498

Texas

58.130

53.812

0.000

49.605

74.133

85.078

0.000

365.229

0.000

51.415

3.695

374.495

266.268

4.382

348.283

71.144

167

998.929

877.909

Utah

21.581

466

19.731

7.281

29.871

33.364

0.000

19.877

0.462

000

5.783

1.571

0.631

1.813

2.485

1.203

20.667

26.385

101.211

112.961

Vermont

17.726

15.385

32.551

5.597

0.152

659

19.921

29.959

3.402

19.734

7.177

1.386

0.000

4.550

2.730

0.000

13.532

12.861

97.190

90.131

Virginia

82.836

77.188

37.474

19.233

49.705

44.742

0.000

34.014

0.000

186

20.689

3.116

0.000

2.221

4.266

79.613

85.880

272.539

268.624

Washington

154.052

158.863

209.055

78.531

160.897

145.606

0.000

207.678

0.000

75.899

69.751

48.716

0.000

44.825

56.588

355.835

295.986

1,049.279

013.004

West Virginia

24.587

26.602

9.076

16.025

0.683

422

0.000

13.081

12.977

0.000

28.705

15.122

0.000

17.557

20.158

0.000

29.807

25.624

125.993

114.432

Wisconsin

120.227

84.061

173.490

27.779

37.296

34.527

62.500

179.047

3.727

67.600

28.385

38.784

0.000

901

37.523

0.000

119.504

116.256

582.652

548.955

Wyoming

4.881

412

0.000

14.184

0.547

4.023

0.000

1.554

0.000

7.068

3.176

0.000

3.411

2.668

12.112

3.275

28.019

33.292
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

Totals

7,937.580

382.551

5,347.523

2,173.710

2,686.385

835.404

2,572.496

5,136.831

2,345.221

785.739

2,229.760

1,285.542

1,988.947

2,274.962

1,329.659

2,300.245

5,234.699

4,692.709

31,672.269

30,867.692

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Table B-2. Use of FY2015FY2016 TANF and MOE Funds by Category as a Percentage of Total Federal TANF and State MOE Funding

Pre-K/Head Start

State

Basic Assistance

Child Care

Administration

Work (including, Education and Training)

Refundable Tax Credits

Child Care

Child Welfare Services

Refundable Tax Credit

Administra-tion

Pre-Kindergarten and Early Childhood

Short-Term (and Emergency) Benefits

Emergency and Other Services

Child Welfare

Other Benefits and Services

Total

Totals

Alabama

18.614.2%

3.55.9%

2.13%

0.013.5%

17.50.0%

825.2%

9.712.8%

16.08.2%

24.417.9%

100.0%

Alaska

52.9

45.5

21.3

11.9

11.5

8.0

0.0

27.8

0.0

50.0

0.0

0.0

9.3

6.7

100.0

Arizona

11.2

7

0.6

11.4

0.3

4

0.0

7

530.0

11.5

2.1

0.0

56.5

6.8

0.0

16.6

17.1

100.0

Arkansas

6.4

4.6

0.3

10.4

11.0

10.1

0.0

5.2

0.0

10.9

3.3

62.8

0.0

5.0

62.9

3.7

6

100.0

California

42.8

41.2

13.5

9.3

16.0

20.8

0.0

8.4

0.0

8.9

3.8

0.0

3.7

0.0

15.2

16.4

100.0

Colorado

25.5

19.7

1.4

6.0

3.6

2.4

1.6

4.2

14.6

20.2

5.8

7

20.9

11.6

2.7

16.8

24.0

13.4

100.0

Connecticut

13.8

12.6

11.2

9.6

3.2

0

0.0

5.4

10.9

0.0

8.6

3.8

16.6

12.1

2.6

18.1

33.1

35.4

100.0

Delaware

21.3

16.8

514.2

6.1

4.2

0.0

61.4

0.0

5.8

4.0

0.0

2.5

0.0

13.2

9.4

100.0

District of Columbia

28.8

32.9

22.3

2.5

14.3

12.6

7.5

19.6

010.0

217.4

0.0

19.4

0.0

5.4

1

100.0

Florida

18.7

17.4

31.8

5.3

5.0

4.8

0.0

36.4

28.6

0.0

8.6

0.1

0.0

27.3

0.1

0

7.3

8.7

100.0

Georgia

18.0

16.9

4.1

2.4

2.3

8

0.0

4.5

51.9

0.0

3.3

0.0

0.0

52.1

0.0

20.4

21.3

100.0

Hawaii

19.1

6

1.8

8.0

35.9

31.7

0.0

2.3

0.8

0

6.1

0.2

0.0

2.4

0.3

0

36.0

35.8

100.0

Idaho

18.0

16.5

23.5

12.6

11.9

9.2

0.0

27.1

3.4

0.0

12.4

24.8

3.7

2.9

24.0

3.1

3.1

8

100.0

Illinois

5.0

4.8

63.1

0.0

1.5

6

3.1

56.5

16.9

5.4

0.2

1

3.4

20.3

0.1

3.7

6.7

7.5

100.0

Indiana

6.9

1

34.1

8.5

5.1

2.8

10.8

34.3

0.0

10.6

80.0

0.0

5.8

0.0

35.1

31.8

100.0

Iowa

18.5

9

22.5

3.6

5.9

8

12.3

22.8

23.8

12.5

3.7

0.1

0.0

23.5

0.1

0

13.2

12.6

100.0

Kansas

12.1

10.6

8.7

7.5

2.1

1.4

28.9

4.3

14.3

29.9

5.6

0.0

8.7

15.4

0.0

8.7

19.7

22.3

100.0

Kentucky

55.0

62.1

18.4

5.9

12.9

13.3

0.0

11.5

0.0

5.7

0.0

0.0

0.0

87.1

100.0

Louisiana

8.2

5

2.3

7.8

12.4

14.1

7.4

3.0

13.3

6.4

7.1

5.3

29.8

13.7

4.8

27.6

14.7

13.6

100.0

Maine

4734.5

11.3

6.7

3.6

1.8

3.3

9.9

1.5

0.1

6.2

4.4

6.3

8.5

5.2

6.0

15.1

28.3

100.0

Maryland

18.5

22.1

4.3

3.8

5.6

5

26.9

5.5

5.5

28.4

5.2

6.7

14.3

5.1

11.1

13.2

89.6

100.0

Massachusetts

23.9

21.3

29.8

3.2

15.8

6

10.4

30.9

1.3

10.7

3.1

9.8

0.1

1.6

8.7

0.4

6.7

5

100.0

Michigan

10.9

9.7

1.6

4.3

0.3

3.3

1.4

6.8

3.2

4.1

8

14.9

6.7

5.2

16.4

52.8

53.2

100.0

Minnesota

15.6

16.0

24.8

8.1

10.3

8.8

32.0

29.2

0.0

29.2

7.3

4.6

10.0

5.4

1.0

3.5

1

100.0

Mississippi

12.1

9.9

20.3

5.4

17.7

20.6

0.0

20.6

17.9

0.0

3.5

0.0

0.0

16.5

0.0

28.5

27.1

100.0

Missouri

18.4

13.7

10.6

2.0

6.4

7.3

0.0

13.7

0.0

1.4

21.2

0.0

23.7

41.7

0.0

21.6

18.4

100.0

Montana

3134.5

19.6

9.5

23.2

20.4

0.0

18.2

3.1

0.0

9.9

5.1

0.0

3.8

4.8

0.0

7.9

8.5

100.0

Nebraska

22.0

24.5

214.6

13.9

2

33.8

21.3

433.0

4.6

0.0

0.0

3.2

0.0

0.2

100.0

Nevada

50.5

40.2

08.0

1.2

0.0

0.0

14.5

0.0

12.4

0.0

0.0

23.9

0.0

35.8

13.4

100.0

New Hampshire

31.7

30.0

1416.4

11.1

0

0.0

19.3

5.3

0.0

16.2

4.8

0.0

1.1

4.5

0.0

16.9

17.5

100.0

New Jersey

16.1

9.3

9.5

4.3

7.2

6.1

16.5

11.7

0.0

23.5

5.0

1.3

38.5

0.0

1.3

38.9

5.8

0

100.0

New Mexico

22.4

20.9

12.9

2.8

4.7

5.0

20.5

10.8

0.1

26.7

3.3

0.0

2.6

0.3

06.0

3327.6

100.0

New York

28.8

29.2

7.6

4

2.9

3

27.6

8.9

6.2

27.7

7.1

4.3

4.3

5.1

4.1

8.7

116.4

100.0

North Carolina

9.2

8.6

33.6

7.7

1.5

1

0.0

33.6

21.4

0.0

7.7

0.8

17.7

20.8

0.9

20.5

8.0

6.9

100.0

North Dakota

12.3

10.8

2.9

10.1

8.7

9

0.0

2.7

61.8

0.0

10.8

0.0

0.0

63.8

0.0

3.5

6

100.0

Ohio

25.4

22.8

35.4

10.7

6.6

7.3

0.0

37.2

0.7

0

11.4

5.6

0.0

8

5.2

0.0

15.3

7

100.0

Oklahoma

13.2

15.3

35.7

8.4

5.6

4

0.0

37.1

8.1

0.0

8.8

2.2

5.5

8.2

35.7

19.3

17.7

100.0

Oregon

36.4

32.6

3.7

12.4

5.8

6.2

0.6

4.3

2.3

0.9

14.2

9.4

2.3

3.5

8.9

2.8

2527.8

100.0

Pennsylvania

26.0

19.8

39.9

7.0

9.7

8.4

0.0

49.1

0.0

7.6

1.3

0.0

1.3

0.0

1514.5

100.0

Rhode Island

12.2

14.4

178.5

5.8

3.8

18.3

0.0

9.9

7.5

17.4

0.0

18.9

0.0

4

53.1

6.4

100.0

South Carolina

22.6

20.9

2.3

12.1

10.0

02.0

0.0

12.4

0.0

0.0

014.0

52.7

41.0

100.0

South Dakota

48.8

47.1

2.8

10.2

13.9

0.0

2.8

3.2

0.0

10.2

1

0.0

4.9

10.1

0.0

11.0

100.0

Tennessee

32.0

38.1

12.5

14.2

12.8

11.1

0.0

10.2

0.0

140.0

24.1

0.0

0.0

25.7

4.6

0.8

100.0

Texas

5.8

6.1

0.0

5.7

7.4

9.7

0.0

36.6

0.0

5.1

0.4

37.5

30.3

0.4

39.7

78.1

100.0

Utah

21.3

19.0

19.5

6.4

29.5

0.0

17.6

0.5

0

5.7

1.4

01.6

2.5

1.1

2023.4

100.0

Vermont

18.2

17.1

33.5

6.2

0.2

7

20.5

33.2

3.5

21.9

7.4

1.5

05.0

2.8

0.0

13.9

14.3

100.0

Virginia

30.4

28.7

13.8

7.2

18.2

16.7

0.0

12.7

0.0

1

7.6

1.2

0.0

0.8

1.6

29.2

32.0

100.0

Washington

1415.7

19.9

7.8

15.3

14.4

0.0

20.5

0.0

7.2

6.9

4.6

0.0

4.3

5.6

33.9

29.2

100.0

West Virginia

19.5

23.2

7.2

14.0

0.5

4

0.0

11.4

10.3

0.0

22.8

13.2

0.0

15.3

160.0

23.7

22.4

100.0

Wisconsin

20.6

15.3

29.8

5.1

6.4

3

10.7

32.6

0.6

12.3

4.9

7.1

0.0

2

6.4

0.0

20.5

21.2

100.0

Wyoming

17.4

13.3

0.0

42.6

2.0

12.1

0.0

4.7

0.0

25.2

9.5

0.0

12.2

8.0

43.2

9.8

100.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

Totals

25.1

23.9

16.9

7.0

8.5

9.2

8.1

16.6

7.4

9.0

7.0

4.2

6.3

7.4

4.2

7.5

16.5

15.2

100.0

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Notes: Detail may not add to totals because of rounding.

Table B-3. Unspent TANF Funds at the End of FY2015

FY2016

(September 30, 20152016, in millions of dollars)

State

Unliquidated Obligations

Obligated but Not Spent

Unobligated Balances

Alabama

$11.250

3

$41.834

60.7

Alaska

0.000

0

57.417

53.5

Arizona

0.000

0

4.834

6.7

Arkansas

33.433

34.6

10.851

17.5

California

175.109

355.5

0.000

0

Colorado

0.000

0

78.909

87.8

Connecticut

0.000

0

0.000

0

Delaware

0.376

3

9.531

8.4

District of Columbia

0.000

0

89.999

67.1

Florida

43.844

0.0

41.724

55.2

Georgia

32.078

37.9

10.023

12.8

Hawaii

8.555

7.6

125.948

178.6

Idaho

0.000

0

30.442

25.9

Illinois

0.000

0

0.000

47.4

Indiana

323.911

95.4

5.250

252.0

Iowa

20.354

17.1

1.800

6.8

Kansas

0.981

73.4

58.804

0.3

Kentucky

0.000

0

30.228

66.0

Louisiana

12.950

0.0

0.000

0

Maine

0.000

8.4

92.013

110.8

Maryland

0.000

0

0.000

0

Massachusetts

0.000

0

0.000

0

Michigan

0.000

0

57.433

92.1

Minnesota

83.101

0.0

0.000

76.2

Mississippi

0.000

0

35.780

46.7

Missouri

16.133

0.3

0.283

0

Montana

0.000

0

42.917

37.5

Nebraska

0.000

0

59.982

62.2

Nevada

6.361

0.0

0.000

15.2

New Hampshire

0.000

0

44.539

69.6

New Jersey

8.238

14.7

6.000

45.0

New Mexico

93.551

91.9

0.000

0

New York

70.428

163.6

92.243

145.1

North Carolina

15.982

33.8

0.000

19.9

North Dakota

0.000

0

10.973

6.5

Ohio

227.462

398.4

137.023

12.2

Oklahoma

52.448

45.6

0.000

0

Oregon

0.000

51.4

22.080

0.0

Pennsylvania

55.939

64.0

771.983

433.3

Rhode Island

0.000

0

11.466

7.1

South Carolina

24.466

0.0

0.000

0

South Dakota

0.000

0

20.462

22.0

Tennessee

0.000

0

242.828

386.8

Texas

124.788

154.9

0.000

0

Utah

0.000

0

120.855

108.4

Vermont

0.000

0

0.175

0

Virginia

0.080

4

78.114

102.9

Washington

0.000

0

45.853

51.8

West Virginia

0.000

0

22.354

52.5

Wisconsin

0.000

0

88.148

138.3

Wyoming

4.553

1.0

24.196

 

 

 

23.0

Totals

1,446.369

661.5

2,625.295

3,011.8

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Table B-4. Number of Families, Recipients, Children, and Adults Receiving TANF Assistance by State, March September 2017

State

Families

Recipients

Children

Adults

Alabama

9,673

326

21,858

188

17,499

042

4,359

146

Alaska

3,174

093

8,682

388

5,841

726

2,841

662

Arizona

8,554

222

17,897

255

14,229

13,693

3,668

562

Arkansas

3,184

072

7,084

6,879

5,315

215

1,769

664

California

520,855

511,311

1,496,075

485,521

1,052,125

046,866

443,950

438,655

Colorado

16,322

646

43,090

906

30,421

31,116

12,669

790

Connecticut

8,890

9,798

17,417

19,315

12,679

14,062

4,738

5,253

Delaware

4,012

3,873

11,216

10,760

6,767

486

4,449

274

District of Columbia

3,871

124

8,642

7,678

6,925

5,965

1,717

713

Florida

45,606

027

74,179

72,840

62,798

61,895

11,381

10,945

Georgia

11,073

12,245

20,766

14,818

19,218

11,840

1,548

2,978

Guam

601

541

1,290

161

1,068

967

222

194

Hawaii

5,351

4,937

14,646

13,577

10,220

9,549

4,426

028

Idaho

1,914

928

2,738

833

2,710

783

28

50

Illinois

13,636

12,613

29,486

27,018

25,554

23,723

3,932

295

Indiana

7,485

6,963

15,020

14,008

13,517

12,684

1,503

324

Iowa

11,288

10,694

27,869

26,261

20,611

19,568

7,258

6,693

Kansas

4,563

134

10,310

9,420

7,872

185

2,438

235

Kentucky

21,872

20,785

58,639

55,729

35,844

34,218

22,795

21,511

Louisiana

5,518

521

13,288

515

11,143

243

2,145

272

Maine

18,831

452

61,612

60,391

37,410

36,750

24,202

23,641

Maryland

19,062

18,611

47,024

46,232

34,843

308

12,181

11,924

Massachusetts

51,803

196

126,133

125,310

86,911

051

39,222

259

Michigan

14,467

13,846

34,451

33,706

27,994

370

6,457

336

Minnesota

18,897

519

44,792

087

34,992

171

9,800

916

Mississippi

5,152

4,891

10,169

210

8,046

037

2,123

173

Missouri

13,320

12,452

30,499

28,598

22,982

21,698

7,517

6,900

Montana

4,020

517

9,989

11,421

7,314

8,342

2,675

3,079

Nebraska

5,251

262

12,848

984

10,628

682

2,220

302

Nevada

9,114

828

23,024

25,330

17,479

18,852

5,545

6,478

New Hampshire

4,708

884

11,361

811

8,051

440

3,310

371

New Jersey

13,979

12,640

31,509

28,603

24,182

21,970

7,327

6,633

New Mexico

10,823

11,066

27,237

28,047

20,597

21,081

6,640

966

New York

138,007

132,675

353,582

339,719

250,299

239,780

103,283

99,939

North Carolina

15,605

11,144

27,869

18,122

24,842

17,040

3,027

1,082

North Dakota

1,064

105

2,546

777

2,131

333

415

444

Ohio

55,826

54,161

104,036

99,843

91,867

89,070

12,169

10,773

Oklahoma

6,822

797

15,094

246

13,005

089

2,089

157

Oregon

45,976

43,754

137,585

130,642

87,820

83,570

49,765

47,072

Pennsylvania

51,597

50,615

127,824

125,892

94,449

92,886

33,375

006

Puerto Rico

7,238

NA

19,645

NA

12,136

NA

7,509

NA

Rhode Island

6,224

4,468

10,479

517

7,776

760

2,703

757

South Carolina

8,790

672

19,049

18,924

16,042

15,929

3,007

2,995

South Dakota

3,010

030

5,935

6,011

5,415

515

520

496

Tennessee

26,801

24,562

59,606

54,192

46,454

42,509

13,152

11,683

Texas

27,301

28,839

59,273

63,920

52,343

55,448

6,930

8,472

Utah

3,950

4,013

9,823

760

7,156

177

2,667

583

Vermont

3,186

371

7,325

858

5,175

528

2,150

330

Virgin Islands

222

197

681

603

458

404

223

199

Virginia

20,904

38,253

42,173

37,157

32,130

28,283

10,043

8,874

Washington

42,027

35,284

98,205

79,332

67,156

54,059

31,049

25,273

West Virginia

7,077

113

14,175

353

11,422

580

2,753

773

Wisconsin

16,719

318

36,048

35,263

29,489

160

6,559

103

Wyoming

560

513

1,379

155

1,036

886

343

269
 

 

 

 

 

Totals

1,385,775

354,901

3,523,172

410,086

2,562,386

481,584

960,786

928,502

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Notes: Data for Puerto Rico are unavailable for September 2017. TANF cash assistance caseload includes families receiving assistance in state-funded programs counted toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement.

Table B-5. Number of Needy Families with Children Receiving Assistance by State, MarchSeptember of Selected Years

 

 

 

 

 

 

Percentage Change to 2017 from. ...

State

1994

2007

2010

2016

2017

1994

2010

2016

Alabama

51,217

48,752

18,005

104

20,740

23,052

11,124

10,564

9,673

326

-81.1

80.9

-53.4

59.5

-13.0

11.7

Alaska

13,209

12,450

3,376

127

3,296

507

2,989

3,097

3,174

093

-76.0

75.2

-3.7

11.8

6.2

-0.1

Arizona

71,713

72,728

35,617

36,934

35,227

18,774

9,731

107

8,554

222

-88.1

7

-75.7

56.2

-12.1

9.7

Arkansas

26,355

25,298

8,600

472

8,492

469

3,834

478

3,184

072

-87.9

-62.5

63.7

-17.0

11.7

California

916,427

795

471,775

470,502

576,355

590,121

593,370

564,179

520,855

511,311

-4344.2

-9.6

13.4

-12.2

9.4

Colorado

42,541

40,544

11,149

9,355

11,785

707

16,375

814

16,322

646

-61.6

58.9

38.5

42.2

-0.3

1.0

Connecticut

59,351

60,336

20,890

322

17,261

16,848

11,276

10,683

8,890

9,798

-85.0

83.8

-48.5

41.8

-21.2

8.3

Delaware

11,592

408

4,027

034

5,089

508

4,304

216

4,012

3,873

-65.4

66.1

-21.2

29.7

-6.8

8.1

District of Columbia

27,047

320

5,748

6,231

9,786

8,547

5,577

4,432

3,871

124

-85.7

88.6

-6063.4

-30.6

29.5

Florida

248,514

239,702

47,337

46,864

57,471

742

47,566

034

45,606

027

-81.6

2

-20.6

22.0

-4.1

3

Georgia

141,859

596

24,681

23,600

20,464

133

12,829

570

11,073

12,245

-92.2

91.4

-45.9

39.2

-13.7

2.6

Guam

1,863

2,089

931

936

1,245

276

885

764

601

541

-67.7

74.1

-51.7

57.6

-32.1

29.2

Hawaii

20,395

21,312

6,410

426

9,630

953

6,460

5,901

5,351

4,937

-7376.8

-4450.4

-17.2

16.3

Idaho

9,016

8,635

1,661

506

1,742

820

1,938

957

1,914

928

-78.8

77.7

95.9

-1.2

5

Illinois

241,817

290

31,397

26,222

21,973

24,337

15,825

14,205

13,636

12,613

-94.4

8

-37.9

48.2

-13.8

11.2

Indiana

74,843

72,654

41,226

42,058

35,915

36,062

8,249

7,836

7,485

6,963

-90.0

4

-79.2

80.7

-9.3

11.1

Iowa

40,676

39,137

20,082

19,872

21,345

548

12,343

11,777

11,288

10,694

-72.2

7

-47.1

50.4

-8.5

9.2

Kansas

30,591

29,524

14,550

13,892

14,202

15,554

4,941

5,262

4,563

134

-85.1

86.0

-67.9

73.4

-7.7

21.4

Kentucky

81,141

78,720

29,788

492

30,028

875

21,532

23,242

21,872

20,785

-73.0

6

-27.2

32.7

1-10.6

Louisiana

88,059

84,162

10,730

11,023

10,273

849

5,560

772

5,518

521

-93.7

4

-46.3

49.1

-0.8

4.3

Maine

23,231

22,322

12,736

352

14,942

15,377

20,371

19,951

18,831

452

-18.9

17.3

2620.0

-7.6

5

Maryland

81,253

80,266

19,077

630

24,052

25,110

20,841

592

19,062

18,611

-76.5

8

-20.7

25.9

-8.5

9.6

Massachusetts

112,803

108,985

44,579

46,483

49,062

836

54,681

53,453

51,803

196

-54.1

53.0

5.6

2.7

-5.3

4.2

Michigan

227,114

215,873

75,173

71,892

70,633

67,241

17,037

15,417

14,467

13,846

-93.6

-79.5

4

-15.1

10.2

Minnesota

64,055

59,987

26,513

642

24,048

574

19,169

256

18,897

519

-70.5

69.1

-21.4

24.6

-1.4

3.8

Mississippi

56,420

55,232

11,210

658

11,805

895

5,727

759

5,152

4,891

-90.9

91.1

-56.4

58.9

-10.0

15.1

Missouri

93,735

91,875

39,577

544

38,847

39,262

17,933

14,904

13,320

12,452

-85.8

86.4

-65.7

68.3

-25.7

16.5

Montana

12,278

11,416

3,184

217

3,742

686

3,035

388

4,020

517

-67.3

60.4

7.4

22.5

32.5

33.3

Nebraska

16,323

15,435

7,426

6,913

8,539

702

5,232

366

5,251

262

-67.8

65.9

-3839.5

0.4

-1.9

Nevada

14,011

620

6,424

7,411

10,365

612

9,869

525

9,114

828

-35.0

32.8

-12.1

7.4

-7.7

3.2

New Hampshire

11,574

398

5,183

4,733

6,247

175

5,045

4,826

4,708

884

-59.3

57.2

-24.6

20.9

-6.7

1.2

New Jersey

123,025

122,376

34,884

123

33,047

34,516

18,208

15,941

13,979

12,640

-88.6

89.7

-57.7

63.4

-23.2

20.7

New Mexico

33,847

34,535

14,017

12,503

19,342

21,223

11,190

821

10,823

11,066

-68.0

-44.0

47.9

-3.3

6.4

New York

457,660

461,751

159,447

156,420

156,188

154,936

145,307

141,428

138,007

132,675

-69.8

71.3

-11.6

14.4

-5.0

6.2

North Carolina

134,063

129,258

25,509

24,537

24,382

23,705

16,950

859

15,605

11,144

-8891.4

-3653.0

-733.9

North Dakota

6,079

5,410

2,016

156

2,037

1,996

1,090

124

1,064

105

-82.5

79.6

-47.8

44.6

-2.4

1.7

Ohio

254,021

244,099

77,624

78,129

103,012

105,140

57,409

184

55,826

54,161

-78.0

77.8

-45.8

48.5

-2.8

5.3

Oklahoma

47,428

46,572

9,283

002

9,315

388

7,152

147

6,822

797

-85.6

4

-26.8

27.6

-4.6

9

Oregon

43,617

40,504

18,872

645

30,199

31,751

51,576

49,132

45,976

43,754

5.4

8.0

52.2

37.8

-10.9

Pennsylvania

211,771

212,457

63,637

60,167

51,085

53,274

57,263

53,678

51,597

50,615

-75.6

76.2

1-5.0

-9.9

5.7

Puerto Rico

58,869

57,337

13,809

12,617

13,581

371

8,325

051

7,238

NA

-87.7

NA

-46.7

NA

-13.1

NA

Rhode Island

22,872

776

8,296

107

7,505

6,758

3,918

794

6,224

4,468

-72.8

80.4

-17.1

33.9

58.9

17.8

South Carolina

53,260

50,430

15,652

14,936

17,934

19,347

9,495

396

8,790

672

-83.5

82.8

-51.0

55.2

-7.4

7

South Dakota

7,129

6,601

2,825

842

3,209

291

2,999

3,100

3,010

030

-57.8

54.1

-6.2

7.9

0.4

-2.3

Tennessee

111,740

109,678

62,395

58,244

61,685

62,714

30,630

29,123

26,801

24,562

-76.0

77.6

-56.6

60.8

-12.5

15.7

Texas

286,613

284,973

61,566

59,972

49,871

51,931

28,454

30,074

27,301

28,839

-90.5

89.9

-45.3

44.5

-4.1

Utah

17,908

505

5,146

069

6,724

646

3,655

961

3,950

4,013

-77.9

1

-41.3

39.6

8.1

1.3

Vermont

9,988

761

4,463

503

3,106

256

3,187

359

3,186

371

-68.1

65.5

2.6

3.5

0.0

4

Virgin Islands

1,078

146

440

395

507

537

264

251

222

197

-79.4

82.8

-56.2

63.3

-15.9

21.5

Virginia

75,854

74,257

31,354

563

36,744

37,448

22,856

345

20,904

38,253

-72.4

48.5

-432.1

-8.5

71.2

Washington

104,326

101,542

52,292

49,076

69,637

70,200

35,861

39,709

42,027

35,284

-59.7

65.3

-39.6

49.7

17.2

-11.1

West Virginia

41,521

40,279

9,774

699

9,690

10,496

7,172

362

7,077

113

-83.0

82.3

-27.0

32.2

-1.3

3.4

Wisconsin

78,739

75,086

17,211

824

21,353

24,746

19,116

17,520

16,719

318

-78.8

3

-21.7

34.1

-12.5

6.9

Wyoming

5,857

351

273

255

352

318

446

485

560

513

-90.4

59.1

61.3

25.6

5.8
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Totals

5,098,288

015,545

1,749,847

720,231

1,905,106

926,140

1,518468,171

1,385,775

354,901

-72.8

7

-27.3

29.2

-8.7

7.20619

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Notes: Data for Puerto Rico are unavailable for September 2017. Total change excludes data for Puerto Rico for all years. Caseload data for 2000 through 20162017 include those families in Separate State Programs with expenditures countable toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement.

Table B-6. TANF Assistance Families by Number of Parents by State: March September 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

Percent of Total TANF Assistance Families

Percentage of All Families Receiving Assistance

State

Single Parent

Two Parent

No Parent

Total Families

Totals

Single Parent

Two Parent

No Parent

Totals

Alabama

4,172

013

72

51

5,429

262

9,673

326

43.1

0

0.7

5

56.1

4

100.0

Alaska

1,899

891

439

347

836

855

3,174

093

61.1

59.8

11.2

13.8

27.6

26.3

100.0

Arizona

3,127

104

221

183

5,206

4,935

8,554

222

36.6

37.8

2.6

2

60.9

0

100.0

Arkansas

1,608

543

63

65

1,513

464

3,184

072

50.5

2

2.0

1

47.5

7

100.0

California

280,508

276,833

96,030

93,664

144,317

140,814

520,855

511,311

53.9

54.1

18.4

3

27.7

5

100.0

Colorado

9,353

702

1,304

132

5,665

812

16,322

646

5758.3

8.0

6.8

34.9

34.7

100.0

Connecticut

4,703

3,308

0

2

4,187

6,488

8,890

9,798

52.9

33.8

0.0

47.1

66.2

100.0

Delaware

1,096

031

15

12

2,901

830

4,012

3,873

26.6

270.3

0.4

73.1

72.3

100.0

District of Columbia

1,713

0

2,158

1,411

3,871

124

44.3

54.8

0.0

55.7

45.2

100.0

Florida

7,092

6,694

511

374

38,003

37,959

45,606

027

15.6

14.9

1.1

0.8

8384.3

100.0

Georgia

1,499

3,504

0

93

9,574

8,648

11,073

12,245

13.5

28.6

0.0

8

86.5

70.6

100.0

Guam

146

119

29

27

426

395

601

541

24.3

22.0

4.8

5.0

70.9

73.0

100.0

Hawaii

3,207

2,958

869

779

1,275

200

5,351

4,937

59.9

16.2

15.8

24.3

23.8

100.0

Idaho

28

50

0

1,886

878

1,914

928

1.5

2.6

0.0

98.5

97.4

100.0

Illinois

3,256

2,688

0

10,380

9,925

13,636

12,613

23.9

21.3

0.0

76.1

78.7

100.0

Indiana

1,653

621

123

61

5,709

281

7,485

6,963

23.3

22.1

0.9

1.6

75.8

76.3

100.0

Iowa

5,888

456

623

562

4,777

676

11,288

10,694

52.2

51.0

5.5

3

42.3

43.7

100.0

Kansas

1,796

666

291

262

2,476

206

4,563

134

39.4

40.3

6.3 53.4

54.3

100.0

Kentucky

5,662

140

657

504

15,553

141

21,872

20,785

24.7

25.9

2.4

3.0

72.8

71.1

100.0

Louisiana

2,135

257

0

3,383

264

5,518

521

38.7

40.9

0.0

61.3

59.1

100.0

Maine

9,973

841

7,163

6,929

1,695

682

18,831

452

53.0

3

38.0

37.6

9.1 100.0

Maryland

11,635

504

444

368

6,983

739

19,062

18,611

61.0

8

2.3

0

36.6

2

100.0

Massachusetts

34,222

382

3,460

282

14,121

13,532

51,803

196

66.1

67.2

6.7

4

27.3

26.4

100.0

Michigan

5,695

417

0

8,772

429

14,467

13,846

39.4

1

0.0

60.6

9

100.0

Minnesota

9,893

10,006

0

9,004

8,513

18,897

519

52.4

54.0

0.0

47.6

46.0

100.0

Mississippi

2,102

1,930

0

3,050

2,961

5,152

4,891

40.8

39.5

0.0

59.2

60.5

100.0

Missouri

8,109

7,508

0

5,211

4,944

13,320

12,452

60.9

3

0.0

39.1

7

100.0

Montana

2,141

386

362

506

1,517

625

4,020

517

52.8

53.3

11.2

936.0

37.7

100.0

Nebraska

2,328

422

0

2,923

840

5,251

262

44.3

46.0

0.0

55.7

54.0

100.0

Nevada

3,856

4,620

759

852

4,499

356

9,114

828

42.3

47.0

8.7 44.3

49.4

100.0

New Hampshire

3,219

262

25

1,464

597

4,708

884

68.4

66.8

0.5

31.1

32.7

100.0

New Jersey

8,158

7,352

0

5,821

288

13,979

12,640

58.4

2

0.0

41.6

8

100.0

New Mexico

5,016

308

812

829

4,995

929

10,823

11,066

46.3

48.0

7.5

46.2

44.5

100.0

New York

88,955

85,882

3,047

2,815

46,005

43,978

138,007

132,675

64.5

7

2.2

1

33.3

1

100.0

North Carolina

2,759

1,001

131

38

12,715

10,105

15,605

11,144

17.7

9.0

0.8

3

81.5

90.7

100.0

North Dakota

415

444

0

649

661

1,064

105

39.0

40.2

0.0

6159.8 100.0

Ohio

9,780

8,976

975

695

45,071

44,490

55,826

54,161

17.5

16.6

1.7

3

80.7

82.1

100.0

Oklahoma

2,089

157

0

4,733

640

6,822

797

30.6

31.7

0.0

69.4

68.3

100.0

Oregon

31,895

29,730

7,223

414

6,858

610

45,976

43,754

67.9

69.4

16.9

15.7

1

14.9

100.0

Pennsylvania

32,228

023

643

618

18,726

17,974

51,597

50,615

62.5

63.3

1.2

36.3

35.5

100.0

Puerto Rico

6,445

NA

429

NA

364

NA

7,238

NA

89.0

NA

5.9

NA

5.0

NA

NA

Rhode Island

4,294

3,113

6

222

1,924

133

6,224

4,468

69.7 5.0

0.1

25.4

30.9

100.0

South Carolina

3,007

2,995

0

5,783

677

8,790

672

34.2

5

0.0

65.8

5

100.0

South Dakota

520

496

0

2,490

534

3,010

030

17.3

16.4

0.0

82.7

83.6

100.0

Tennessee

11,707

10,441

366

316

14,728

13,805

26,801

24,562

43.7

42.5

1.4

3

56.2

55100.0

Texas

6,930

8,473

0

20,371

366

27,301

28,839

2529.4

0.0

7470.6

100.0

Utah

1,974

911

0

1,976

2,102

3,950

4,013

50.0

47.6

0.0

5052.4 100.0

Vermont

1,475

671

325

318

1,386

382

3,186

371

49.6

46.3

9.4

10.2

41.0

43.5

100.0

Virgin Islands

186

167

0

36

30

222

197

8384.8

0.0

1615.2

100.0

Virginia

13,795

14,185

0

7,109

24,068

20,904

38,253

66.0

37.1

0.0

3462.9 100.0

Washington

19,193

16,314

8,676

6,046

14,158

12,924

42,027

35,284

46.2

45.7

17.1

2036.6

33.7

100.0

West Virginia

2,055

054

0

5,022

059

7,077

113

29.0

28.9

0.0

71.1 100.0

Wisconsin

5,392

091

336

229

10,991

998

16,719

318

32.3

31.2

2.0

1.4

65.7

67.4

100.0

Wyoming

267

229

38

20

255

264

560

513

47.7

44.6

6.8

3.9

4551.5

100.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Totals

692,249

668,582

136,467

129,640

557,059

556,679

1,385,775

354,901

50.0

49.3

9.8

6

40.2

41.1

100.0

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Notes: Data for Puerto Rico are unavailable for September 2017. TANF cash assistance caseload includes families receiving assistance in state-funded programs counted toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement.

Author Contact Information

[author name scrubbed], Specialist in Social Policy ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])

Footnotes

1.

The definition of TANF assistance is not in statute. However, because the statutory language has most TANF requirements triggered by a family receiving "assistance," the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regulations define assistance at 45 C.F.R. §260.31.

2.

States are not required to report to the federal government their cash assistance benefit amounts in either the TANF state plan (under Section 402 of the Social Security Act) or in annual program reports (under Section 411 of the Social Security Act). The benefit amounts shown are from the "Welfare Rules Database," maintained by the Urban Institute and funded by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

3.

Some states vary their benefit amounts for other family types such as two-parent families or "child-only" cases. States also vary their benefits by other factors such as housing costs and sub-statesubstate geography.

4.

In 20152016, the HHS poverty guidelines for the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia for a family of three was $1,674680 per month. Higher poverty lines applied in Alaska ($2,093100 per month for a family of three) and Hawaii ($1,925933 per month for a family of three).

5.

Some families are excluded from the participation rate calculation.

6.

For a discussion of TANF-funded earnings supplement programs and the work participation rate, see CRS Report R44751, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): The Work Participation Standard and Engagement in Welfare-to-Work Activities.

See CRS In Focus IF10856, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: Work Requirements.