Part I (Policy Identification)
Introduction
Social welfare policies exist to address cultural disparities, reduce neediness, and advance the prosperity of people and networks. My mostly plan is to lessen disparities and promote equity by giving help to individuals who are minimized or burdened (Edelman, 2018). They try to guarantee that all people approach necessities like food, lodging, medical services, and instruction, paying little mind to financial status or foundation. For this specific activity, the chosen social welfare policy is the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, which is a federal program in the US. TANF means to give brief monetary help to low-pay families with subordinate kids. The pertinent segment of the law is Title IV-An of the Government-backed Retirement Act.
This arrangement is profoundly appropriate to the work led at our hands-on work organization, as it straightforwardly influences the financial prosperity of the families we serve. A significant number of our clients depend on TANF advantages to meet their fundamental requirements, like food, lodging, and dress (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), 2022). As friendly work specialists, understanding and pushing for powerful execution of TANF is vital to supporting the weak populations we serve.
Goals of the Policy
The general objectives of TANF embody a diverse way to deal with tending to destitution and cultivating independence. Fundamentally, TANF plans to stretch out transitory monetary help to penniless families while simultaneously cultivating roads for long-haul financial freedom. This is worked with through drives advancing labour force investment, work readiness exercises, and the counteraction of the outside of a stable family structure pregnancy. Furthermore, TANF attempts to support the arrangement and soundness of two-parent families, perceiving the job of family structure in monetary security and child well-being.
Part II (Policy Exploration)
The Historical Development of the Policy
The historical development of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) policy in the US is well established in the development of government assistance change endeavours crossing quite a few years. TANF, as far as we might be concerned today, rose out of a progression of regulative and philosophical movements pointed toward changing the country’s government assistance framework. The precursor to TANF was the Guide to Families with Subordinate Kids (AFDC) program, laid out as a feature of the government-backed retirement Demonstration of 1935 during the New Arrangement time. AFDC gave monetary help to low-pay families with subordinate youngsters, yet after some time, it went under examination for its apparent deficiencies, including worries about reliance, work disincentives, and financial supportability.
During the 1960s and 1970s, discussions encompassing government assistance change picked up speed as policymakers and supporters wrestled with issues of destitution, imbalance, and social government assistance strategy adequacy. The Conflict on Neediness drives of the 1960s, including the foundation of projects like Medicaid and Food Stamps, laid the basis for later change endeavours. The defining moment in government assistance strategy came during the 1980s and 1990s, as worries about government assistance reliance and the viability of existing projects escalated. President Ronald Reagan’s organization supported the possibility of government assistance change, pushing for arrangements that underscored work necessities, moral obligation, and diminishing government spending.
However, it was under President Bill Clinton’s organization that huge government assistance change regulation was ordered. In 1996, Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), usually known as the Welfare Reform Act (Congressional Research Service, 2023). PRWORA in a general sense changed the government assistance framework by supplanting AFDC with TANF and acquainting far-reaching developments with qualification models, benefit design, and program prerequisites. PRWORA denoted a shift towards a more moderate, work-driven way to deal with government assistance strategy, with an accentuation on advancing independence and decreasing reliance on government help (Congressional Research Service, 2023). TANF presented time-restricted benefits, severe work prerequisites, and expanded state adaptability in program organization. It likewise forced lifetime limits on receipt of help and expected beneficiaries to take part in business-related exercises as a state of qualification.
TANF was implemented nationwide on July 1, 1997, denoting the start of another period in government assistance strategy in the US. States conceded huge prudence in planning and executing their own TANF programs, prompting significant variety in program structure, benefit levels, and administration conveyance models the nation over. Since its execution, TANF has gone through a few reauthorizations and updates, with discussions going on over its viability, influence on neediness decrease, and suggestions for civil rights (Edelman, 2018). The verifiable improvement of TANF reflects more extensive changes in political philosophy, social perspectives towards neediness and government assistance, and strategy ways to deal with tending to monetary disparity and social government assistance arrangement.
Value-Based and Politics Behind the Policy
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) policy mirrors a bunch of basic qualities that shape its objectives and execution. These qualities include both more extensive American cultural qualities and explicit standards key to social work practice. One key worth implanted in TANF is the accentuation of moral obligation and independence. The strategy looks to engage people and families to accomplish financial autonomy through work prerequisites and occupation readiness exercises (Barsky, 2017). This resounds with the NASW benefit of advancing self-assurance and strengthening, as well as more extensive American beliefs of independence and confidence.
One more worth reflected in TANF is the significance of family soundness and youngster prosperity. By advancing the development and upkeep of two-parent families and empowering dependable nurturing, TANF expects to establish a strong climate for youngsters to flourish (Barsky, 2017). This lines up with the NASW standard of esteeming the significance of family and perceiving the effect of social settings on individual and family working.
The stakeholders/partners in TANF policymaking address assorted interests and viewpoints, each impacted by their qualities and needs. Government authorities and policymakers might focus on monetary obligation and regulatory proficiency in TANF program execution. Backing gatherings and local area-based associations might advocate for strategies that focus on the necessities of low-pay families and advance civil rights. Buyers and clients of TANF might esteem admittance to help benefits that assist them with meeting their essential requirements and accomplishing financial solidness. Confidential area partners, like business pioneers, may have shifting viewpoints on the job of government in giving social government assistance help and the harmony between individual obligation and aggregate help.
Part III (Policy Analysis)
Form of Benefits Provided
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program essentially gives cash help to qualified families. This money help is planned to assist families with meeting their essential requirements, like food, lodging, and apparel. While certain states might offer extra steady administrations, for example, childcare help or occupation preparing programs, the central advantage of TANF is monetary help as money instalments (Clear, 2019).
The Criteria for Eligibility
Qualification for TANF benefits is resolved in light of pay level, family arrangement, and different factors like resources and citizenship status. Most states utilize a method test to decide qualification, which assesses a candidate’s pay and assets to guarantee they meet the program’s pay edges (Floyd, 2021). Qualification measures change by state, yet by and large, beneficiaries should have low pay and be answerable for the consideration of ward youngsters.
The Accessibility of Benefits
Getting to TANF advantages can be moving for a client because of regulatory boundaries, qualification necessities, and disgrace related to getting help. Clients might confront significant delays, complex application processes, and severe documentation prerequisites, which can prevent a few qualified people from applying for benefits (Lambert, 2020). Furthermore, restricted subsidizing and assets might bring about deficient help for every qualified family, prompting differences in access and results.
Types of Organizations and Staff
TANF advantages and administrations are commonly directed by state and neighbourhood offices, frequently in association with local area-based associations and confidential workers for hire (Floyd, 2021). Staff might incorporate caseworkers, qualification workers, and business experts who help clients explore the application cycle, get too strong administrations, and track down work.
The Community Involvement and Financing
While TANF regulation empowers local area associations and information, the degree to which networks participate in approach execution changes by state. Financing for TANF principally comes from government block awards, with states answerable for deciding how assets are apportioned and used to help qualified families (Clear, 2019). Be that as it may, subsidizing levels may not generally be adequate to address the issues of every qualified family, prompting holes in help arrangements and restricted admittance to help.
The Objective/Goal Accomplishment
The all-encompassing objectives of TANF, including advancing independence, diminishing government assistance reliance, and supporting family soundness, have had blended achievement. While certain families have effectively progressed from government assistance to work and accomplished financial freedom, others keep on confronting hindrances to business and experience long-haul destitution (Lambert, 2020). Factors like restricted financing, rigid qualification necessities, and deficient help administrations might obstruct objective accomplishment and add to persevering neediness among TANF beneficiaries.
Part IV (Policy Evaluation)
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) policy has had huge ramifications for civil rights, yet with blended results. While TANF planned to advance independence and decrease government assistance reliance, its execution has sustained disparities in light of race, identity, and orientation. Research demonstrates that TANF’s severe work necessities and time restrictions lopsidedly influence minimized networks, especially ladies of variety, who face foundational hindrances to business and admittance to steady administrations (Clear, 2019). Moreover, TANF’s accentuation on moral obligation ignores primary elements adding to destitution and neglects to address fundamental imbalances in pay and power conveyance.
To address these weaknesses, changes to the TANF strategy are basic. Proposed changes ought to focus on value, incorporation, and civil rights by tending to racial and orientation incongruities, growing admittance to instruction and preparing programs, and improving strong administrations for weak populaces (Clear, 2019). The social work calling assumes a fundamental part in upholding strategy changes that advance civil rights and enable minimized networks. Social specialists are exceptionally situated to use their ability in approach examination, backing, and local area arranging to impact strategy improvement and execution (Figueira-McDonough, 1993). By taking part in political cooperation and alliance building, social workers can enhance the voices of those affected by TANF advocate for changes that address fundamental disparities and advance monetary and social value (Domanski, 1998).
As a social worker, I would find proactive ways to assist with changing the TANF strategy by teaming up with promotion gatherings, policymakers, and local area partners to recognize regions for change and foster proof-based arrangements. This might include a leading examination to evaluate the effect of TANF on weak populaces, teaching policymakers about the requirement for strategy changes, and assembling grassroots endeavours to advocate for administrative changes (Domanski, 1998). By effectively captivating in arrangement support and political cooperation, social workers can add to significant change and advance civil rights inside the TANF program.
Part V (Critical Response to Policy)
Your Name,
Your Address,
City, State, Zip, Code
Email Address,
Phone Number,
29th February 2024.
Recipient’s Name,
Recipient’s Title,
Agency/Organization Name,
Address,
City, State, Zip Code.
Dear Council Woman/Man,
Re: An Appeal to Critical Respond to the TANF Policy
As a devoted social worker who profoundly puts resources into the prosperity of the people and families locally, I’m writing to communicate my interests regarding the execution of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Throughout the long term, I have seen firsthand the effect of TANF on the existences of my clients, and I accept there is a basic requirement for change to all the more likely location of the necessities of weak populaces.
One change that I emphatically suggest is the extension of strong administrations for TANF beneficiaries, especially in the space of schooling and occupation preparation. A considerable lot of my clients face huge boundaries to business, including the absence of admittance to reasonable childcare, transportation, and instructive open doors. By putting resources into thorough help benefits that address these hindrances, we can engage TANF beneficiaries to accomplish long-haul financial strength and independence.
As a social worker, I have perceived how these obstructions sustain patterns of destitution and reliance, catching people and families in a pattern of financial difficulty. Without sufficient help, a large number of my clients battle to find stable work and access the assets they need to fabricate a superior future for themselves as well as their families.
I ask you to consider the significance of putting resources into steady administrations as a component of TANF strategy change. By giving TANF beneficiaries the devices and assets they need to succeed, we can break the pattern of destitution and set out pathways to monetary freedom for all.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I anticipate cooperating to guarantee that TANF approaches better serve the requirements of our local area.
Sincerely,
Your Name
References
Barsky, A. (2017, October 23). Ethics alive! The 2017 NASW Code of Ethics: What’s new? Socialworker.com. https://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/ethics-articles/the-2017-nasw-code-of-ethics-whats-new/
Blank, R. M. (2019). Why TANF’s flaws matter. The Russell Sage Foundation. Journal of the Social Sciences, 5(3), 166–182.
Congressional Research Service. (2023). The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: A Legislative History. https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R44668.pdf
Domanski, M. D. (1998). Prototypes of social work political participation: An empirical model. Social Work, 43(2), 156–167. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/43.2.156
Edelman, P. B. (2018). The future of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. Social Work, 63(1), 83–86.
Figueira-Mcdonough, J. (1993). Policy practice: The neglected side of social work intervention. Social Work, 38(2), 179–188.
Floyd, L. (2021). Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): Updated overview of program eligibility, benefits, and the work requirement. Congressional Research Service.
Lambert, S. F. (2020). The impact of TANF work requirements on welfare recipients’ employment, earnings, and well-being. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 39(3), 715–746.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). (2022, June 29). Hhs.gov. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ofa/programs/temporary-assistance-needy-families-tanf
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