Overview
The federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) was passed in 1996. This legislation eliminated the open-ended federal welfare entitlement program, Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), and replaced it with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The TANF regulations include a requirement that recipients of TANF funds work or participate in work activities in exchange for time-limited assistance. Florida has established a 48-month lifetime limit for the receipt of cash assistance.
In Florida, the TANF work program is called the Welfare Transition program. The goal of Florida’s Welfare Transition (WT) program is to emphasize work, self-sufficiency and personal responsibility. To accomplish this goal, the Florida Legislature, using federal and state funding, has developed an array of support services and programs.
The following Welfare Transition support services are available (as resources and funding permit) for current TANF recipients meeting work activity requirements:
- Subsidized child care
- Transportation services
- Education and training assistance
- Other support services include paying for books, tools, clothing, fees, and costs necessary to comply with work activity or employment requirements. Support funding also may include personal and family counseling and therapy if resources permit.
Transitional Services (as resources and funding permit)
Former participants of the Welfare Transition Program who are working or actively seeking employment may receive the following transitional services:
- Education and training assistance for up to 2 years
- Transportation services for up to 2 years
- Child care services for up to 2 years.
Note: The gross family income must not exceed 200% of the federal poverty level. - Other support services include paying for books, tools, clothing, fees and costs necessary to maintain employment.