TANF at 30: Utah Employment Program Spotlight

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, commonly known as TANF, which was established in 1996. TANF evolved from the former Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program, transforming the nation's approach to public assistance by emphasizing personal responsibility, employment, and self-sufficiency. One of TANF’s four statutory purposes is to reduce dependency on public assistance by promoting job preparation, work, and marriage.

To recognize this milestone, the Office of Family Assistance’s State and Tribal Technical Assistance and Resources (STAR) team is highlighting promising and innovative approaches for connecting TANF participants with employment opportunities and career pathways.

In this video, STAR speaks with workforce leaders from Utah. Utah integrates TANF employment services into the state’s broader workforce system, allowing TANF participants to access the same range of job-search assistance, career exploration, education, training, and work-based learning opportunities available to other job seekers. The video presents Utah’s model and explains how they serve TANF participants, what makes the approach distinctive, and what the state is learning from its implementation and results.