The District’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides cash assistance to families in need, along with a suite of services to facilitate their path to success.
Families enrolled in the District’s TANF program may receive benefits so long as they are income eligible and have a child in the home. TANF also offers access to a variety of supportive services they can bundle together to meet their individual needs.
DHS employs a Two-Generation Approach to reaching and serving families so children and parents can rise together.
Through the TANF program customers gain access to supportive services including but not limited to:
TANF Employment Program (TEP) – provides coaching towards education and employment goals, but can also coach parents on goals they have for their child(ren) and families
- Child Care Subsidy – allows parents to enroll their child(ren) in quality childcare, including before and aftercare
- Behavioral, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Support – connects customers to Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) to obtain counseling to cope and manage behavioral, mental, emotional, or substance abuse issues for parents or their child(ren)
- Tuition Assistance Program Initiative for TANF (TAPIT) – financial assistance to enroll in post-secondary educational programs or professional certificate and/or licensing programs