AUSTIN — Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation released new research examining Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in Texas. This report finds that while TANF was created to support needy families, reduce welfare dependence, and promote the well-being of children, the program in Texas has drifted from that original mission and is no longer structured to build lasting, stable families.
The report recommends the careful reworking of TANF in Texas by prioritizing two-parent families, encouraging marriage and responsible fatherhood and motherhood, supporting mothers, and directing resources toward helping adults find meaningful work and lift their families out of poverty. It argues that TANF should measure success not only by short-term assistance, but by whether families become more stable, self-sufficient, and better able to raise children.
“TANF is uniquely designed to help families through hardship while strengthening the conditions that give children the best chance to thrive,” said Hannah Bruck, Policy Scholar for the Family Success Project. “In Texas, the program often fails to prioritize two-parent households or give parents the tools they need to work, stay together, and pass on stability to the next generation. By reorienting these funds and ensuring a return to that core purpose, vulnerable Texas families are given the tools needed to not only survive, but flourish.”
“Texas should use TANF to encourage marriage, family formation, and the complementary roles of mothers and fathers, not merely to manage poverty,” said Noah Torres, Policy Analyst for the Family Success Project. “When adults have real pathways to work and families receive support that rewards stability instead of undermining it, children benefit and communities become stronger. Incremental tweaks will not restore TANF to its original purpose. Texas needs a deliberate reworking of the program that puts two-parent families first.”
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