United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2001-03-15 monographic deposited born digital 18 p. GA 1.13:GAO-01-522T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-522T P0b002ee1803a35be f:d01522t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-522T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-522T GAO-01-522T Workfare State-administered programs Welfare recipients Public assistance programs Disadvantaged persons Program graduation Employment or training programs Federal/state relations Aid to Families with Dependent Children Program HHS Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Block Grant California Connecticut Florida Maryland Michigan Washington HHS Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program Testimony This testimony discusses the progress of welfare reform. GAO found that states are transforming the nation's welfare system into a work-based, temporary assistance program for needy families, with a focus on moving people into employment rather than signing them up for cash assistance. States' implementation of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), undertaken in a time of strong economic growth, has been accompanied by a 50 percent decline in the number of families receiving cash welfare. GAO's review of state-sponsored studies available in 1999 and several more recent studies show that most of the adults in families remaining off the welfare rolls were employed at some time after leaving welfare. All six of the states GAO visited have modified their "work first" programs to better serve recipients who face difficulties in entering the workforce. States have found that some of the recipients with such difficulties do, in fact, find jobs. While states have made significant progress in meeting work-focused goals, as welfare reform continues to evolve, attention should be paid to these issues (1) emphasizing and enhancing work-based strategies, including engaging hard-to-employ recipients in work and helping families stay off welfare and increase their earnings and (2) fostering and facilitating improved management and service delivery approaches by states. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-522T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-522T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-522T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-522T.pdf GAO-01-522T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-522T Testimony GAO-01-522T; Welfare Reform: Progress in Meeting Work-Focused TANF; Workfare State-administered programs Welfare recipients Public assistance programs Disadvantaged persons Program graduation Employment or training programs Federal/state relations Aid to Families with Dependent Children Program HHS Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Block Grant California Connecticut Florida Maryland Michigan Washington HHS Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program Public Law 104-193