TANF
Government & Politics abbreviation · Public Program
| Stands for | Temporary Assistance for Needy Families |
|---|---|
| Categories | Government & Politics |
TANF stands for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, a public program abbreviation.
Federal block grant that funds state programs of cash assistance and services for low-income families with children. States set benefit levels and rules within federal limits, including work requirements and a five-year lifetime limit on federally funded assistance.
Example: She received TANF for eight months while completing a job training program.
Usage notes
TANF replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) under the 1996 welfare reform law. The federal block grant of about $16.5 billion a year has not been raised since 1996, so its real value has fallen sharply. States spend much of it on services other than cash aid, such as child care. Pronounced "TAN-if".
Related abbreviations
More public program abbreviations
- SEP – Special enrollment period
- SGA – Substantial gainful activity
- SNAP – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
- SSDI – Social Security Disability Insurance
- SSI – Supplemental Security Income
- SSN – Social Security number
- TARP – Troubled Asset Relief Program
- TEFAP – The Emergency Food Assistance Program
- TPS – Temporary Protected Status
- UI – Unemployment insurance
- VFC – Vaccines for Children
- VWP – Visa Waiver Program