Update on TANF Program Performance

The U.S. Government Accountability Office published this report on the TANF program. Currently, there are questions about the strength and breadth of the TANF safety net. Many eligible families are not receiving TANF cash assistance. Regarding TANF as a welfare-to-work program, the emphasis on work participation rates as a measure of State program performance has helped change the culture of State welfare programs to focus on moving families into employment. However, features of the work participation rates as currently implemented undercut their effectiveness as a way to encourage States to engage parents, including those difficult to serve, and help them achieve self-sufficiency. Finally, States have used TANF funds to support a variety of programs other than cash assistance as allowed by law.