As TANF turns 30, it is time to replace misguided conversations about fraud with dialogue rooted in dignity. That shift demands a person‑centered process, and one that allows frontline staff to serve as partners rather than gatekeepers.
Topic
TANF
Hetling and McFarland (PP ’24) Acknowledged for TANF Research
The authors conducted an analysis to
determine the extent to which Maryland‘s TCA program incorporates trauma-informed principles into the program. Tables 21 and 22 segment results by trauma-informed domains that were introduced in the Assessment Tools chapter. These domains are part of the Trauma-Informed TANF Evaluative Toolkit based on Dr. Andrea Hetling’s 2019 research.
Work requirements don’t work for domestic violence survivors – but Michigan data shows they rarely get waivers they should receive for cash assistance
The big idea Very few people who have survived domestic violence are getting Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) waivers from the work requirements and time limits tied to those benefits – even though they’re eligible for them, according to our...
Stephanie Walsh, Ph.D., awarded Outstanding Doctoral Student Award
The award recognizes excellence in doctoral research and scholarship across all disciplines at Rutgers University as well as the importance of research to a given field of study and a track record of academic and professional excellence.
Andrea Hetling to join Heldrich Center as Associate Director
Dr. Hetling is a Professor of Public Policy at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and Co-Principal Investor of the New Jersey State Policy Lab.
Ph.D. candidate Stephanie Holcomb is recipient of Horowitz Foundation social science research grant
She is one of 25 scholars chosen to receive a social science research grant to support her dissertation research on how county-level administration of cash assistance affects program access and equity.