Congress Reauthorizes TANF:
What Will It Mean for Maine Families?
After many years of thorny debate, Congress finally passed legislation last winter reauthorizing the
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program for another five years. In June, the federal
Department of Health and Human Services issued “interim” final regulations to implement this new law.
These regulations went into effect immediately, but the public was given a chance to comment on them.
At some point, new regulations responding to those comments will be issued. Right now it is uncertain
when those new rules will be issued.
The new TANF requirements will be challenging both for states and families that need help.
However, there have not yet been any changes in Maine’s TANF, ASPIRE or Parents as Scholars programs
as a result of this new law. And, at this point, we are hopeful that Maine’s programs will
be able to continue with few, if any, harmful changes. Here’s an update.
Strict “Work” Requirement
in New Federal Law
A key feature of the new federal law is a strict requirement that 50% of all TANF families, and
90% of 2-parent TANF families, take part in a “work” activity. If states do not follow this requirement,
they will be financially penalized.
The federal Department of Health and Human Services defines what counts as “work.” Unfortunately
it excluded activities that many families need to become job-ready. For example, participating in more
than 6 weeks of mental health or substance abuse counseling and most post-secondary educational
activities do not count as “work” under the new federal rules. But, this does not mean that a state
cannot allow a family to participate in one of these important activities. It just means that the
state won’t be able to count that family toward its required 50% participation rate.
This puts pressure on states to find other ways to meet their participation rates. And that is the
challenge that Maine’s Department of Human Services, advocates and others have been working on for the
last several months.
Shortly after this new federal law went into effect, Governor Baldacci brought together a group of
“stakeholders”—people familiar with the TANF Program. The group included members from MAIN, Maine
Equal Justice, childcare providers, disability advocates, religious leaders, women’s groups,
representatives of educational institutions, the Department of Health and Human Services and non-profit
groups like Women, Work and Community and Coastal Enterprises, Inc.
Early in the fall, this group made recommendations to the Governor that would follow the new
regulations and better serve low-income families with children as they work to reach greater economic
security.
Recommendations to the Governor
Key recommendations included:
- Protecting the Parents as Scholars program so that TANF families can continue to work toward
post-secondary education degrees and leave poverty behind;
- Protecting families coping with disabilities so that they can continue to receive the services
they need to care for their families;
- Supporting strategies to increase high-wage job opportunities for TANF families;
- Strengthening existing transitional programs and creating a new modest supplemental payment for
families leaving TANF for work, to help them make ends meet and reduce the likelihood that they
will return to TANF; and
- Ensuring that there are enough funds for quality childcare for TANF recipients without reducing
funds for other families eligible for subsidized childcare.
It will take several more months before it is certain how Maine will respond to these new
federal changes. Many people who have heard about TANF reauthorization are concerned
that important services and protections may be lost.
No Changes So Far
“Good Cause” and Parents as Scholars still in place
The most important thing to know right now is that no changes have been made yet in Maine’s TANF
program as a result of reauthorization. The Parents as Scholars program is still in place. Families
that can’t participate in a work activity for some or all of their required hours can still claim
“good cause” and be excused from their work requirement. We believe that there is a commitment to
continue both of these important parts of Maine’s TANF program into the future.
Area of Concern: Proof of Work Activity
One area that is of concern is how the Department will meet the new requirement to “verify,” or
prove, that a parent is actually participating in a work activity each day. This requirement could
place a burden on schools, training sites, agencies where families volunteer and employers, as well
as the TANF participant. It could also have the effect of violating the confidentiality of TANF
families.
For example, if an employer is required to tell DHHS how many hours a TANF parent is working at his
or her store, this means that the employer will learn that the parent receives TANF. The Department,
the TANF Advisory Council and others are working hard to figure out a way to meet this new verification
requirement without violating this important right to privacy.
Read future issues of the MAIN Update to learn more about how Maine will implement federal changes
in the TANF Program.
For more information about
Maine’s TANF, ASPIRE or Parents as Scholars Programs
call Crystal Bond toll-free at 1-866-626-7059 x205.
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