15 Years Anniversary of Welfare Reform

Article List

15 Years Anniversary of Welfare Reform
08/23/2011

Fifteen years ago, President Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act which replaced the Aid to Families With Dependent Children program with the Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF). Western Center invites our allies to consider how the TANF program is working to achieve the goal of economic self-sufficiency of low-income families and challenges all of us to make it work better.

Fifteen years ago this week, Welfare Reform was passed and changed everything about how our country helps very low-income families. In August of 1996, President Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act which replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program, an entitlement program, with the Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF), a federal block grant program. The new program adopted work requirements, lifetime limits, school attendance and immunization requirements and offered new opportunities for welfare-to-work support services.

The "Thompson-Maddy-Ducheny-Ashburn Welfare-to-Work Act of 1997" (AB 1542 - Chapter 270 Statutes of 1997) implemented the federal law and established the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, California's TANF program.

Below are some links to some publications marking the 15th anniversary of the TANF Program and a look at whether or not our country's poorest children are better off now than they were before its implementation. Western Center welcomes this opportunity to reflect on the program and challenge our national and state policy makers to reinforce this essential safetynet.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Blog

http://www.offthechartsblog.org/tanf-at-15-part-i-how-well-does-it-provide-income-support-for-poor-families/ and

http://www.offthechartsblog.org/tanf15/

The Hill’s Congress Blog, piece by Gordon Berlin, President of MDRC

http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/economy-a-budget/177719-a-safety-net-built-around-work-when-there-is-no-work

The American Prospect

http://prospect.org/cs/articles?article=happy_birthday_welfare_reform

Legal Momentum:

http://www.legalmomentum.org/our-work/women-and-poverty/resources--publications/welfare-reform-15.pdf

NPR interview on Tell Me More with Barbara Ehrenreich and Michael Steele

http://www.npr.org/2011/08/22/139850478/the-poor-better-off-15-years-after-welfare-reform

Daily Kos

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/22/1009606/-Welfare-reform-is-15-years-old,-but-aid-isnt-getting-to-those-who-need-it

Think Progress

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/08/22/301231/tanf-15-anniversary/