What we have learned:
In the Community Monitoring Project sample, parents whose benefits ended because they missed appointments or did not follow program rules were less likely to have completed high school than current recipients and were more likely to have physical health problems. Similarly, in Utah, one-third of families who lost benefits because of noncompliance said they did not work because of a health condition; and one-fifth reported mental problems. In Delaware, families with the least education and work experience were more frequently penalized.

If TANF programs do not identify barriers to employment such as disability, lack of education, domestic violence, or lack of child care or transportation and do not help families solve these problems, more families will be "pushed off" assistance without real prospects of sustained employment.

How the Act responds:
The Act makes multiple improvements to TANF and related programs to address work barriers.

1) Expanding Access to Jobs - Funding is increased for the U.S. Department of Transportation's Access to Jobs program to provide parents with transportation to jobs and child care.

2) Requires trained caseworkers to look for severe barriers to employment and to provide appropriate services to address the barriers. If such services are not provided to a TANF recipient with severe barrier(s) to employment, the recipient is exempted from TANF work requirements.

3) Exempting parents with barriers to employment from TANF time limit - States are allowed to exempt more than the current limit of 20 percent from the TANF time limit if severe barriers to employment exist.

4) TANF funds used by states to provide caseworker bonuses and new state initiatives designed to eliminate barriers to employment do not count towards the 15 percent administrative cap on TANF spending.

5) Fair conciliation process - Requires customer service review of any TANF case closed to ensure cases are not erroneously terminated. Also, the Act requires attempts at personal contact with recipients and a determination of whether barriers to participation in the TANF program exist and if grounds are present for exemption from the time limits or other TANF program requirements.