| Pa. Children & Youth Administrators Association Position on
Reauthorization of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Close to
half of families who have left welfare remain poor, even though most of
those who have left welfare have been employed. In welfare reform’s next
phase, reducing child and family poverty must be made an explicit purpose
of the law. If Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) is to be
improved as a means of reducing poverty, federal and state funding must at
least be maintained and adjusted for inflation. Data and reporting
requirements must be streamlined. States should receive additional funds
to help reduce family poverty and to increase the availability of
childcare for working families. TANF can do more to support work if: low
wages plus TANF cash benefits do not count against the 5-year time limit;
if families can earn back months of assistance through months of work; and
if more education and training count towards fulfilling the work
requirement. TANF must do more to protect very vulnerable families, such
as those with disabilities or those who have suffered domestic violence.
States should be required to review cases to ensure that families are not
wrongly dropped from TANF and that severe work barriers are caught before
families lose TANF. In a time of growing unemployment, states must have
more flexibility to exempt these families from time limits. Further, the
law should do more to ensure that children and families get the help for
which they are eligible. Families leaving welfare must continue to receive
food stamps, Medicaid, childcare, and other necessary supports to make the
transition from welfare a success. Childcare is a critical support to
low-income families--those leaving welfare and those in the workforce. The
reauthorization of the welfare reform legislation provides an important
opportunity to improve and expand the availability and quality of
childcare. Funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant must be
increased so that every family who needs help can get it, and so states
can improve the overall quality of child care while also increasing wages
and education for child care teachers. Charles R. Songer Jr., Executive
Director November 30, 2001 |
