Mutual Support Groups for Long-Term Recipients of TANF‪.‬

Dramatic policy changes have occurred in relation to the eligibility and length of support for vulnerable parents receiving public assistance. Under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193), the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). The act established five-year time limits for receipt of welfare benefits, and work requirements. Some states have adopted more conservative policies. For instance, Utah now mandates a time limit of 36 months for cash assistance, and welfare recipients must engage in work-related activities for at least 20 hours per week. In response to these policy changes, many vulnerable families have been forced into the work force earlier than they would have been under earlier programs. There are growing concerns with underemployment. For instance, the inability of unskilled workers to find work and the fact that most individuals fulfilling the work requirements generally receive very low wages raise issues about lack of health insurance and related benefits for these families (Briar, 1988; Briar-Lawson, 2000). Moreover, single mothers with low education levels, characteristic of a large number of welfare recipients (Burtless, 1997), are now seeking employment. As a result, they face additional challenges such as obtaining affordable child care.