TANF Cash Welfare Benefit Programs

TANF is the major federal-state program providing cash assistance to needy families with children. Other Benefits and Services

In addition to ongoing cash welfare and emergency aid, TANF can fund a wide range of other social services for low-income families with children, such as child care, transportation aid, family preservation and support services, and similar types of services. Legislation to Respond to the Impact of Hurricane Katrina

Welfare programs are not usually associated with responses to natural disasters. However, the scope of Hurricane Katrina's displacement of families, the strain placed on human service agencies responding to this displacement, plus the flexibility allowed states to design programs under TANF, made the block grant a potential source of help to the victims of this disaster. P.L.
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant provides grants to states to help them fund a wide variety of benefits and services to low-income families with children. TANF is best known for funding cash welfare benefits for families with children, but the block grant may also fund other benefits and services such as emergency payments, child care, transportation assistance, and other social services. Welfare programs are not usually associated with responses to natural disasters. However, the scope of Hurricane Katrina's displacement of families, the strain placed on responding human service agencies, plus the flexibility allowed states to design programs under TANF, made the block grant a potential source of help to the victims of this disaster. P.L. 109-68 provided some additional TANF funds and waived certain program requirements for states affected by Katrina. Under that act, all states were provided capped funding to aid evacuees from hurricane-damaged states. This report will be not be updated.