Child Care: Recent State Policy Changes Affecting the Availability of Assistance for Low-Income Families

May 2003 Child Care: Recent State Policy Changes Affecting the Availability of Assistance for Low-Income Families GAO-03-588 With passage of welfare reform in 1996, child care assistance has become a significant strategy for helping recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) move into the workforce and for helping other families stay off welfare. The Congress provided states with more child care funding and with flexibility to allocate child care monies among three groups at risk: (1) TANF families participating in work-related activities, (2) families that recently transitioned off TANF (transitioning families), and (3) other low . . .