TANF at 15
GOVERNING: HUMAN SERVICES NEWSLETTER
ISSUE: SEPTEMBER 13, 2011
BY: JONATHAN WALTERS
For the past 15 years, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) has been considered the premier lifeline for those who've needed some short-term help between jobs. But now comes a report out of the Urban Institute seriously questioning just how well TANF has functioned in that role, particularly during this recession and its tepid, even questionable, recovery.
"The TANF program is overdue for a serious review of its effectiveness during economic downturns," notes the report, What Role is Welfare Playing in this Period of High Unemployment? It's a topic of particular concern right now in light of the most recent employment numbers -- the worst in a year -- and the fact that 2011 marks 15 years of experimentation inspired by President Bill Clinton's vow "to end welfare as we know it."
SUBSCRIBE TO GOVERNING HUMAN SERVICES NEWSLETTER