Effects of the 1996 Law
Issues, Trends, and Recipient Characteristics
Enacted almost six years ago as a replacement for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) provides fixed grants for time-limited and work-conditioned aid. To promote work, State programs use tougher work standards, "work first" policies, and financial work rewards. Issues under consideration as Congress debates legislation reauthorizing the 1996 law include work rules, child care funding, the role of education, training, and "rehabilitation," aid for the working poor, and the conflict between time limits and work rewards that allow workers to stay on TANF with higher earnings.Issues for Debate Definition of "Work Activities"…
