The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is requesting a 3-year extension of the form ACF-202: Caseload Reduction Report. There are substantive changes requested to the instructions and form. ACF is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the information collection described above, due October 14, 2025.

This notice outlines changes requested by ACF and the information they are requesting from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) agencies.

On March 24, 2025, the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Administration for Children and Families shared a letter with TANF Administrators to ensure TANF agencies are aligned with Executive Order 14218 “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders” and are not providing federal public benefits to illegal aliens, per statutory requirements. In this Information Memorandum, the Office of Family Assistance provides additional details on the applicable laws and enforcement mechanisms regarding restrictions on federal public benefits for non-qualified aliens.

As the TANF program nears its 30th year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is committed to reinforcing the program’s core values of personal responsibility and work as a pathway to reduced dependency and family self-sufficiency. The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA) authorized a new opportunity for states to pilot program performance and accountability measures in TANF. Pub. L. No. 118-5, § 302. The pilot can play a pivotal role in the design of modern approaches to moving work-eligible individuals into the labor force, while providing critical insights on ways to operationalize personal responsibility. To align with Trump Administration priorities, ACF is issuing a new request for pilot proposals and encourages all states and territories, including members of the prior cohort of applicants, to submit a proposal. The up to five pilot states will focus on moving TANF recipients from dependency to independence by promoting work, personal responsibility, and strong, stable families as the foundations of self-sufficiency. This draft request for proposals is available for public comment. Email any comments on the proposed collection of information to infocollection@acf.hhs.gov for consideration by ACF.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) published a Federal Register Notice seeking public comment by June 20, 2025, on a proposed information collection for the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA) TANF Pilot Program. This reissued request reflects a shift in federal priorities toward promoting work and reducing dependency. Up to five states will be selected for a six-year pilot that replaces traditional Work Participation Rate (WPR) requirements with work and family stability outcome-based performance measures. During the 30-day comment period, stakeholders should review the Draft Request for Proposals to understand and comment on the pilot’s goals, eligibility, and accountability framework. Alternatively, a copy can be obtained by sending an email to infocollection@acf.hhs.gov; all requests should be identified by the title of the information collection.

This Office of Family Assistance information memoranda provides guidance regarding the definition of federal public benefits. In 1998, the Department of Health and Human Services identified 31 programs that provide federal public benefits. Albeit a few exceptions, these programs, including TANF, are required to verify immigration and citizenship status of applicants in order to ensure that only qualified aliens receive the programs' benefits and services.

This fact sheet by the Trump-Vance administration outlines their actions to prevent illegal aliens from obtaining social security benefits, including:

1. Ending benefit for illegal aliens;
2. Protecting taxpayer dollars; and
3. Making it clear that the border is closed. 

This Executive Order by the Trump-Vance administration ensures that all federally funded programs align with the requirements of applicable Federal law, including the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), to prevent taxpayer benefits from going to unqualified aliens.

In this Defending Ideas podcast episode, the Alliance for Opportunity talks with Sutherland Institute to give an overview of some of the proposals currently in Congress through the lens of potential reforms to federal welfare programs. They discuss whether it is possible to save taxpayer dollars while improving outcomes for families who truly need help getting back on their feet.

The Office of Family Assistance published this Dear Colleague Letter to highlight a previously disseminated letter, Identifying and Ending Welfare for Illegal Aliens, to encourage states to align their programs to Executive Order 14218’s provisions and federal statutes and regulations, concerning restrictions on permitting illegal aliens to obtain cash or non-cash federal public benefits.