Public Welfare and Human Services: New Directions under TANF?

With the passage of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the nation's welfare system for poor women and their children was fundamentally transformed. These profound changes have the potential to dramatically alter the nature of state and local welfare agencies and to create new and expanded roles for human service workers, including social workers, both within public welfare agencies and other community agencies. This article reviews the major provisions of TANF and its implications for state welfare agencies and recipients. Roles for human service workers in public welfare are delineated for direct practice, management staff development policy analysis and advocacy, and research.