Findings in Brief

Cash Assistance Entitlement Policies

         Explicit entitlement provisions in state statute and policy

Categorical Eligibility for TANF Cash Assistance

Definition of minor child; assistance unit rules for siblings and non-siblings; treatment of two-parent families, non-parent caretakers, pregnant women, and parents of minor parents

Child Care Assistance

Information about subsidized child care assistance for TANF families, families transitioning off cash assistance, and low income families. Also, information on the definitions of key terms that state TANF agencies use to determine whether TANF parents have a demonstrated inability to obtain needed child care.

Financial Eligibility for TANF Cash Assistance

Methods used to determine financial eligibility for cash assistance, including asset and income tests, benefit calculation, maximum benefit levels, earned income disregards, treatment of other sources of income, and individual development accounts

Medicaid

Implementation of federal requirement to delink eligibility for cash assistance and Medicaid

Reproductive Health Provisions and Teen Requirements

Describes the issues and defines the terms used in the policy descriptions and comparisons on family cap, minor living arrangement requirements, school/training requirements for teen parents, and abstinence education programs.

Sanctions for Noncompliance with Work Activities
Includes an overview of state sanction policy and information on timing of full family sanctions. Reports on good cause for nonparticipation in work activities and conciliation procedures are forthcoming.

Separate State Programs and State-Only TANF Funds

          State funded initiatives

TANF Applications, Diversion Programs, and Emergency Assistance

Application processing, pre- and pending application requirements, personal responsibility contracts, employability plans, formal cash diversion programs, emergency assistance

Time Limits

Lifetime and fixed-period time limit policies, dates families first reach a time limit, time limit exemption and extension criteria

Work Activities and Requirements

Information on state work activities and requirements including: Adult Basic Education and ESL, Community Service, Education Directly Related to Employment,  Exemptions, Hourly Participation, Job Readiness, Job Search, Job Skills Training, On-the-Job Training, Post-Employment Benefits and Services, Postsecondary Education, Required Sequence of Work Activities, Subsidized Employment, Vocational Education Training, and Work Experience.