Brief TANF Child Only Cases
Olivia Golden, Amelia Hawkins
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Almost half of TANF cases are "child-only" in which no adult is included in the benefit calculation. In about 4 out of 10 these cases, the children live with relatives or nonrelatives instead of their parents. The other 6 in 10 cases include parents not eligible for benefits because they receive federal disability payments, are sanctioned for failure to comply with some TANF regulation, exceeded their time limit, or they are undocumented immigrants. This brief reviews the available research on child-only cases, including how cases arise, their characteristics, the children's well-being, and implications for policy and research.
Research Areas Social safety net
Tags Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Welfare and safety net programs
Policy Centers Center on Labor, Human Services, and Population