In 1996, the US federal government created Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). In fact, as of that year, this would be the new program through which the government would help needy families in the country.

Read the article below to learn all about this project and how you can benefit from it.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a federal assistance program for families with children in need. Thus, it was created in 1996 and replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), which had existed since 1935.

The former program had as its main objective to transfer financial resources to families in precarious situations. In turn, TANF seeks to offer much more comprehensive support. To this end, it works on four fronts:

To fulfill these purposes, TANF does not just offer monthly payments to families. Indeed, this project seeks to involve its participants in work and training activities.

Thus, only a small portion of the entire resource destined for this project goes directly to the families’ pockets.

In fact, the highest percentage can finance work, such as daycare centers, which will support mothers so that they can return to the job market. In addition, TANF funds can finance courses or training for the vulnerable population.

Furthermore, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) is just one of the so-called assistance programs offered by the federal government. In all, there are six. Below is a list of the other 5:

As stated earlier, TANF is not simply an income distribution program. In this way, this program offers a range of many other services that go beyond a monthly fee.

Thus, the state unit, as coordinator of this program, can apply the resources destined to this program in the way it sees fit. That is, as long as the program principles are included in each of the actions.

In this way, families assisted by TANF can receive some type of aid to take care of children, for example. In addition, heads and family members of working age can receive training to develop some profitable function.

The program also provides some type of assistance for the people contemplating to develop their economic activities. Some of this support is provided by the Office of Family Assistance.

Among other actions, this body provides content for training, libraries, webinars, courses and others.

Basically, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families exists to serve a very specific audience. In fact, this audience is needy families with children (generally under 18 years old).

Thus, the definition of “needy family” is not fixed by law and may change from state to state. In terms of income, the vast majority of states tend to base a figure below the federal poverty line (FPL).

For example, in the state of South Carolina, the maximum income for a family that wants to qualify for this program must be 50% of the FPL. That way, by 2022, a family of one parent and two children with an annual income of $10,000 or less will be able to access the program.

In addition to income, each state can propose other criteria. For example, in the state of Georgia, TANF requires all preschool-age children to be immunized.

Therefore, it is critical to consult your state’s criteria to determine whether or not you are eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

You can usually find this information on the website of your state’s department of human services (or social services).

In effect, TANF is a program coordinated at the state level. Therefore, each state has the autonomy to decide on the criteria and form of candidacy. In this way, each state unit will decide which application routes it will make available to its population.

However, you can usually apply online, through mobile apps, by mail, fax or in person. In general, applicants are only asked to fill out a form with personal details and program guidelines.

Emigrants can request forms in their mother tongue to facilitate the application. To find out which application modalities are available in your state, consult the official website of your region’s human services department.

Most likely you will be able to sign up on the website itself.

As the name implies, TANF is a temporary program. Therefore, there is a limited period in which you can count on this help. In fact, the idea is that, after a certain period of time, you are already financially independent of this program.

Therefore, you will only be able to participate in the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program for 60 months (5 years). However, if you meet certain conditions, you can stay in the program without counting the months for you.

So, here are some criteria that “freeze” the TANF watch for you:

However, every rule has exceptions. Below, check out the reasons that can lead someone to participate in TANF for more than 60 months, even without the reasons presented above:

Undoubtedly, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families is a great opportunity for those who want to change their lives. However, if you are going through a bad financial time, you need to learn how to manage your money.

Glad you can start doing that today! Click on the link below and read an article with four extremely important tips to take better care of your money.