State Fact Sheets: How States Spend Funds Under the TANF Block Grant

States have broad flexibility over the use of state and federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds. Many have used that flexibility to divert funds away from income support for families and toward other state budget areas often unrelated to TANF’s goals. In 2021, states spent only about a fifth of the funds on basic assistance to meet essential needs of families with children. As there is great variation in spending patterns, these downloadable fact sheets detail how each state spends its state and federal TANF funds.