TANF vs. AFDC

I remember a lot of folk complaining about those “damned welfare mothers” as an undeserving drag upon society ~ AFDC [Aid to Families with Dependent Children] recipients. You still hear those complaints though AFDC has not existed since 1996 when it was replaced by TANF [Temporary Assistance to Needy Families.] Now TANF is going to expire if not renewed.

Both parties viewed TANF as a success but that can be debated. Before this welfare reform for every 100 families with children in poverty in the U.S. , 68 were able to access cash assistance; now that number is 27 and may be lower with the 2012 data comes in. Those who do get this assistance have less than 30% of the poverty line in most states – that is $5,400 annually for a family of three. In other words the program doesn’t do a whole lot.

Before TANF AFDC kept over 2.2 million poor children from falling into deep poverty (half the poverty line or less the $11,500 for a family of four today.) Thus, AFDC lifted 62% of poor children out of deep poverty, 650,000 kids. In 2005 TANF lifted 21 percent out of deep poverty. Or in other words, we are less effective than before in getting people out of deep poverty. In 1996 64% of single mothers with a high school education or less were working and in 2011 it was 62%.

As I understand it AFDC had programs that helped folk get education to get jobs, better jobs; a self-help program. That emphasis is no longer there with the idea of work first before getting education; they believed job training didn’t work and they sold the idea. And this was called success.

I really don’t have a real grasp of all this so I would suggest you go to http://billmoyers.com/2013/02/11/revealing-the-real-tanf/  where Bill Moyers works with The Nation to work on this issue. What I’ve shared is bits and pieces by an article by Greg Kaufman, This Week in Poverty.

It seems to me we not only don’t want what exists to expire but a better program.