Director's Corner

This webpage highlights resources developed or identified by the Director of the Office of Family Assistance, David Swegle.
Cup of coffee, iPhone and iPad, as well as other office materials on a black desk.

Safeguarding TANF Assistance: State Options for EBT Location and Purchase Restrictions

Research-To-Practice Brief

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) gives states broad flexibility to design cash assistance programs, but that same flexibility means safeguarding public funds depends heavily on how states choose to restrict where and how benefits…

Thirty Years Later, Welfare Reform Needs Its Own Reform

Stakeholder Resource

As the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program marks nearly 30 years, conversations about the program’s original intent is gaining renewed attention. This opinion piece reflects on how families, the workforce, and state programs…

TANF and Work: The Caseload Reduction Credit and How States Exploit It

Research-To-Practice Brief

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) supports families as they work toward financial independence, and the policies used to measure state performance play an important role in how the program is administered. This issue brief, co-…

TANF and Work: The Gap Between Perception and Reality

Research-To-Practice Brief

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) supports families as they work toward financial independence, but misconceptions about who receives assistance and how they participate in work activities continue to shape public discussions. This…

The Prevalence of TANF Child-Only Cases Involving Immigration-Status-Ineligible Parents

Research-To-Practice Brief

This Office of Family Assistance brief focuses specifically on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) child-only cases in which a child receives assistance while a parent is excluded from the assistance unit because of citizenship or…