TANF in Tough Economic Times

With TANF reauthorization on the horizon, and in the midst of a recession, a number of advocacy organizations, think tanks, and educational institutions have been hard at work to address the ways that TANF has been successful at helping families living in poverty, as well as the ways in which TANF could better support these families. Tough economic times have tested TANF’s ability to serve a greater number of families in an increased amount of need.

Network, a social justice lobby, issued a report; TANF Tested: Lives of Families in Poverty during the Recession, based on surveys conducted at 70 social service agencies in 20 states and Washington D.C. The report asserts that TANF, in several ways, has not served the families most in need even in less difficult economic times, a problem intensified by the recession. The report also provides recommendations for reauthorization, including: providing greater flexibility in TANF time-limits, a greater emphasis on lifting people out of poverty as a measurement for program success, and an increased focus on work supports for TANF recipients.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ report, Creating a Safety Net that Works When the Economy Doesn’t: The Role of the Food Stamp and TANF Programs states that TANF, in the wake of a tough state budget climate, has responded unevenly to the fiscal crises (serving far fewer families than food stamps). While the report cites several reasons for these differences – it creates a compelling argument for why measures of caseload reduction might create incentives for serving the fewest number of families – as opposed to a performance measure that would provide incentives to states that serve their neediest families.

The Urban Institute brief, Next Steps for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, reported on round-tables held with experts (from federal & state government, as well as research institutions and advocacy groups) regarding TANF’s role as the centerpiece of the national safety net for families with children. The report addresses the way that TANF has been tested through the recession, and offers suggestions for reauthorization. Round table participants recommended clarifying the goal of TANF, suggesting that the balance between being a work program and a program to support families that are impoverished might not be realistic given the programs resources. In addition to clarifying goals, the report addresses creating more effective measures to gauge the program's success.

While all of the reports focus on different aspects of TANF, all addressed the way that the program is measured. Measuring the process of helping families does not always suggest improved outcomes. Measuring the intended goal of the policy is a far better way to ensure that what you’re doing works.

TANF reauthorization will impact families living in poverty across the country, and is an important matter for state governments. When reauthorization does come up – it will be a great opportunity for states to help families most in need by supporting what has worked, and improving what has not.

For more of what works in Family Economic Success policy.

5.7 million US children live on $8 per day or less.

The children who live in extreme poverty are not equally distributed across the country, but are instead concentrated in the Southern States. In fact, according to a new report by The Southern Education Foundation, 42% of the children living in extreme poverty are found in 15 southern states. "One child out of every 11 in the South suffered the nation’s deepest levels of poverty."  The report goes on to examine the impact of extreme poverty on the education of children. They found that school districts with an extreme poverty rate of 10% or more had a median rate of student proficiency of 68%, while school districts with an extreme poverty rate of 5% or less had a median rate of student proficiency of 78% or greater. The connection between poverty and low academic achievement has long been known.  This report underscores the depth of the problem in the Southern States. Policymakers in those states may want to consider policies to reduce child poverty as part of their overall education reform efforts.

For more on state policies to reduce child poverty and to increase early academic achievement.

State Legislation to Implement Fostering Connections

The American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law, CLASP, Children’s Defense Fund and the Juvenile Law Center drafted Sample State Legislation to Extend Foster Care, Adoption and Guardianship Protections, Services and Payments to Young Adults age 18 and Older. This resource can help state policymakers, administrators and advocates support and develop legislation to extend care and services to young adults after they turn 18, and to strengthen state efforts to connect all children with permanent families.

As states consider, or continue, efforts to take advantage of the Foster Connections to Success and Increasing Adoption Act, policymakers can use this resource to draft new legislation or as an aid in evaluating current or pending laws regarding state foster care.

For more on permanency and building strong and stable families.

Visit our homepage to sign-up for e-mail updated on results-based policy regarding youth in transition- coming soon!

An Event: Child Abuse Prevention in Tough Economic Times

The Future of Children, a joint project between Princeton University and the Brookings Institution, will hold an event in partnership with Voices for America’s Children on July 20th, Preventing Child Abuse in an Age of Budget Deficits. The event will discuss the ways that prevention programs are fiscally responsible; leading to reduced spending on a number of social programs. The event will include a panel of experts and practitioners including Ron Haskins of the Brookings Institution, Rev. Darrell Armstrong from the Institute for Clergy Training, and Richard Barth, Dean of the University Of Maryland School Of Social Work, among others. The panel will discuss both the practices and research that have proven effective in preventing child abuse while leading to decreased spending. The panel will also address ways that prevention services can be expanded even in the current economic climate.

Providing families with the preventative supports and services that they need, and detecting those needs early-on, will better serve families while also saving public dollars by preventing costly measures taken in the future, such as removing a child from their parent’s care. Preserving family relationships and creating budget-friendly policy through prevention efforts should be a win-win option for policymakers in touch economic times.

To attend this event or the accompanying webcast.

For information on supporting families and reducing incidences of child abuse and neglect visit Strengthening Families.

For more on Building Strong and Stable Families.

Key Funding Opportunites for Communities in the Health Care Reform Act

The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) has created a summary of some of the key provisions from the Patient and Affordable Care Act. Specifically, the summary focuses on four areas which are the most critical for children and families: School Based Health Centers, Community Based Health Centers, Health Workers, and Home Visiting. Although much of this funding will be disbursed directly to States, communities still have an opportunity to influence the use of federal dollars at the local level by strengthening and building upon existing community partnerships and by lifting up the experiences, needs, and capacity of local organizations and community residents.

Cross-posted from the Financing Community Change Blog by: Aysha Gregory

Childhood Poverty and Adult Outcomes: A New Resource from The Urban Institute

In order to use data effectively – it is critical to look at the context in which the data exists. Looking at the child poverty rate – only provides point-in-time data on how many children are currently living in poverty. While this is incredibly important information, it doesn’t tell us how many children experience poverty in their lifetimes, or the effect that poverty has on life outcomes.

A new report, Childhood Poverty Persistence: Facts and Consequences, authored by Caroline Ratcliffe and Signe-Mary McKernan of The Urban Institute, connects child poverty to outcomes in adulthood. The researchers examined the incidence and duration of poverty (for all children and then separately by race) and the outcomes for the same children at ages 25 to 30.

Using the University of Michigan’s Panel Study of Income Dynamics, the “study finds that 49 percent of children who are poor at birth go on to spend at least half their childhoods living in poverty. In addition, children who are born into poverty and spend multiple years living in poor families have worse adult outcomes than their counterparts in higher-income families”.

For policies to reduce child poverty.