ISSUE BRIEF September 2000
Welfare Reform,TANF Caseload Changes, and Latinos: A Preliminary Assessment
No. 3
INSIDE
By Eric Rodriguez and Kaydee Kirk*
INTRODUCTION
Public Law 104-193 . . . . . . .2
S
Welfare Reform, Caseload
assistance and other safety net services, giving greater flexibilince the enactment of ity and responsibility to states, the 1996 welfare reform and emphasizing “work first” law, the Persona objectives. Responsibility and Work The 1996 welfare law abolished Opportunity Reconciliation the Aid to Families with Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193) Dependent Children (AFDC) (PRWORA), researchers and and Job Opportunities and policy analysts have been Basic Skills training (JOBS) promonitoring its implementation grams and replaced them with and its impact on states, the “Temporary Assistance for communities, and families. This Needy Families” (TANF) block particular round of welfare grant. New welfare legislation reform initiated the most created additional state reportprofound change in eligibility ing and data requirements for standards and benefits for the TANF program and providlow-income mothers with chil- ed flexibility and bonuses to dren in six decades by eliminat- states for reducing caseloads. In ing the federal guarantee of cash addition, the 1996 welfare law * Eric Rodriguez is a Senior Policy Analyst with NCLR and Kaydee Kirk was formerly a Research Assistant with NCLR. In addition, Sonia M. Pérez, Deputy Vice President, and Cristina Bryan, Editor, as well as Jennifer Kadis, reviewed and edited this brief. All errors of fact and logic are the sole responsibility of the authors.
Changes, and Latinos . . . . . .6 Profiles of Three Key States and Puerto Rico . . . . . . . . . .9
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Endnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12