Welfare Reform: The Impact on California - eScholarship

WELF ARE REFORM: THE IMPACT ON CALIFORNIA Joel F. Handler Introduction The new welfare refomllegislation, called the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, is, not surprisingly, exceedingly complex. T ANF not only replaces the AFDC program, but also affects a variety of other federal programs, including food stamps, other nutritional programs, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), child support enforcement, and child care. State authority over AFDC --already considerable --has been greatly extended by converting the federal entitlement into block grants. There are restrictions on the states under the block grants, but whether and how these restrictions apply depends on previously granted state waivers --and 43 stateshave waivers. The legislation complex and many of the important provisions are unclear. In this chapter, I will concentrate on ending entitlement status by requiring work and time-limits on welfare. I believe that these are the key provisions driving much of the current welfare reform. I will also discuss enforcing family values, restricting 551 benefits for children and other benefits for non-citizens, and maintenance of effort requirements on the states. After describing the basic provisions, I addressthe question: Will these reforms work? Here, I draw on the recent experience of the welfare-to-work programs, and look at the family values experiences in other states. I then discuss the likely