Temporary Assistance Finder

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

The nation's primary source of cash assistance to families with children.

Learn How To Apply For TANF Cash Assistance With Our Help. This FREE guide provides helpful information about how to apply for benefits.

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What is TANF?

TANF stands for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

Twenty-five years ago, Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), which created the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program as the nation’s primary source of cash assistance to families with children when they fall on hard times or have very low incomes. TANF replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), a program that had been in existence since 1935. Since TANF’s creation, the accessibility and adequacy of cash assistance has fallen dramatically and, in some states, primarily in the South and where Black children are likelier to live, TANF cash assistance has all but disappeared.

TANF provides a vital support to families with the lowest incomes: cash assistance. Other anti-poverty programs, such as SNAP and refundable tax credits, have grown significantly and have had a tremendous impact on reducing hardship, especially for Black and Latino families and individuals. Yet families with little or no cash income still need monthly cash assistance to be more economically secure.

The TANF program, which is time limited, assists families with children when the parents or other responsible relatives cannot provide for the family's basic needs. The Federal government provides grants to States to run the TANF program. These State TANF programs are designed to accomplish four goals:

  1. to provide assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives;
  2. to end the dependency of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work, and marriage;
  3. to prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and establish annual numerical goals for preventing and reducing the incidence of these pregnancies; and
  4. to encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.

States have broad flexibility to carry out their programs. The States, not the Federal government, decide on the design of the program, the type and amount of assistance payments, the range of other services to be provided, and the rules for determining who is eligible for benefits.

Who Can Receive These Services?

To qualify for TANF, a person must:

  • Be pregnant or have a child under age 19 who lives with them. A child who is 18 must be a full- time high school student. A pregnant woman (and her husband, if he lives with her) may qualify for help, even if they don't have any other children.
  • Be a U.S. citizen or meet certain immigration requirements.

What Services are Offered?

  • Time-limited cash assistance for basic needs, such as food, clothing, housing, etc.
  • Transitional services to help families become independent, such as GED preparation, vocational training, postsecondary education, vocational rehabilitation, classes in basic English, help with child care, work stipends, job retention services, etc.
  • Screening for issues related to substance abuse, mental health, and domestic violence, and referrals for available services to address them.

How to Apply?

A person may apply for TANF online or at a local office that serves the area where they live. Learn the requirements to get TANF cash assistance for you and your family. Find out the different ways you can apply to get TANF benefits, including online. Our FREE guide provides helpful information about how to apply for benefits. Learn more about us here.