▁the ▁grant ▁amount ▁would ▁increase ▁moder ately . ▁However , ▁that ▁changed ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁with ▁New ▁Jersey ▁being ▁the ▁first ▁state ▁to ▁implement ▁a ▁family ▁cap . ▁Currently , ▁about ▁ 2 3 ▁states ▁have ▁implemented ▁some ▁type ▁of ▁a ▁family ▁cap ▁or ▁child ▁ex clusion . ▁ ▁Federal ▁government ▁Under ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁federal ▁w elf are ▁reform , ▁states ▁have ▁dis cret ion ▁to ▁implement ▁a ▁family ▁cap ▁policy . ▁States ▁no ▁longer ▁need ▁wa ivers , ▁unlike ▁before , ▁to ▁do ▁so . ▁ ▁Crit ic isms ▁ ▁O pp on ents ▁argue ▁that ▁the ▁policy ▁neg atively ▁affect s ▁children ' s ▁pover ty ▁levels ▁and ▁health ▁and ▁also ▁increases ▁abort ion ▁rates . ▁ ▁Ab ort ion ▁There ▁are ▁conflic ting ▁studies ▁on ▁the ▁abort ion ▁issue . ▁A ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁study ▁conducted ▁in ▁New ▁Jersey ▁found ▁that ▁for ▁new ▁w elf are ▁recip ients ▁there ▁was ▁an ▁increase ▁of ▁ 1 4 % ▁in ▁the ▁abort ion ▁rate , ▁but ▁for ▁on going ▁cases ▁of ▁recip ients , ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁significant ▁difference ▁in ▁abort ion ▁rates ▁cause ▁by ▁the ▁policy . ▁Between ▁October ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁and ▁December ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁the ▁New ▁Jersey ▁family ▁cap ▁a vert ed ▁ 1 4 , 0 0 0 ▁birth s ▁and ▁caused ▁ 1 , 4 0 0 ▁abort ions ▁that ▁otherwise ▁would ▁not ▁have ▁occurred . ▁The ▁policy ▁is ▁thus ▁critic ised