Texas Families First Task Force Meeting

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Texas Families First Task Force Meeting

• Presentation by
• Diane Rath
• Chair Commissioner Representing the Public
• Texas Workforce Commission
• October 9, 2003

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• Family Support Act of 1988

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Texas Welfare Population

• Mid-1990s before welfare reform
• 263,455 cases
• 721,705 recipients
• 212,788 adults
• 2

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1995 State Welfare Law

• Personal Responsibility Agreement
• Cooperate with child support
• Make sure children attend school
• Ensure children are immunized get regular
  health screens check-ups
• Do not abuse drugs or alcohol
• Obtain parenting skills training
• Participate in work or work activities 3

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1995 State Welfare Law (continued)

• Mandated work for all adults
• Placed time limits on receipt of benefits 1, 2,
  or 3 years based on persons education work
  history
• implemented through waiver of existing federal
  law
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1995 State Welfare Law (continued)

• Weak Penalties
• Not complying with work requirements - 78
• Not cooperating with child support - 78
• Not abusing drugs, alcohol - 25
• Children not immunized or getting health screens
  - 25 5

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1995 State Welfare Law (continued)

• Welfare Reform
• DHS eligibility only
• Workforce Reform
• TWC created by merging 28 programs from 10
  agencies
• All employment programs
• Enforce welfare work requirements 6

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1996 Federal Welfare Law

• Created Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
  (TANF) block grant and a new welfare system
• Temporary assistance, not an entitlement
• Lifetime limit of 5 years
• All adults required to work unless caring for
  child under age 1
• States must meet increasing work participation
  rates or lose 5 of federal block grant 7

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Success of Federal Welfare Reform

• Dramatic Caseload Decline
• National 52
• Texas 51
• New York 50
• Wisconsin 64
• Florida 70
  

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TANF Population
1995 1999 2003
Cases 263,455 124,183 136,840
Adult Recipients 212,788 90,719 87,416
Child Recipients 508,917 247,273 273,680
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• Texas success might have been greater if we did
  not have waiver
• Waiver isolated Texas and allowed welfare
  recipients to delay taking responsibility to
  support their families
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• Age of Child Exemption
• Phased down to meet federal law requirements
• 12 states have 3-month exemption after birth of
  child
• 6 states have no exemption
• Texas is only large state with 1 full year
  exemption 11

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DHS Exemptions from Work

• 1. Caretaker of child under age one 4,165
• 2. Caretaker needed in the home to care for
  disabled adult1,830
• 3. Single grandparent age 50 or over and
  caretaker of child under age three 14
• 4. Caretaker disabled for more than 180 days
  7,476

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DHS Exemptions from Work (continued)

• 5. Caretaker who is unable to work as result of
  pregnancy 1,091
• 6. Caretaker age 60 or older 234
• State law also exempts caretakers of disabled
  children 2,387
• (August 2003 data)

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• Total Adults on TANF 86,090
• Total Exempted 17,197 (20)
• (August 2003 data)

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• Two-Parent Family Issue
• another blow to family formation

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TANF Reauthorization Issues

• Maintain current federal block grant
• Strengthen work requirements
• Full engagement 40 hours/week
• Promote strong families
• Give states flexibility
• Show compassion to truly needy

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Impact on Texas of TANF Reauthorization

• TANF Adults82,540
• TANF Adults Working44,840
• Exempt or Not Engaged
• in Work37,700
• (based on House-passed version)

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TWCs Success in Welfare Reform

• Won total of 70 million over 4 consecutive years
  in TANF High Performance Bonuses for excellence
  in job placement of TANF adults
• New award of 19 million for Family Formation
  Stability
• Legislature appropriates bonus funds

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H.B. 2292 Welfare Reform

• Strengthens state welfare law
• Pay for performance model
• Like real work environment
• Paid for work performed
  

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TWCs TANF Choices Employment Services Rule

• State federal law direct TWC to define engaged
  in work
• Work First design
• Taking personal responsibility in order to obtain
  retain work
• Child attending school
• Children getting immunized health check-ups
• Adults not abusing drugs or alcohol
• Penalty for refusal to engage in work is loss of
  TANF adult Medicaid benefits 20

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• Litigation
• CPPP vs. TWC

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Medicaid Connection

• Federal welfare law allows states to terminate
• TANF benefits for the entire family
• Medicaid for the adult
• When parents refuse to
• Cooperate with child support
• Engage in work

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Parents not taking Responsibility

• Refused to cooperate with child support 6,834
  adults
• Refused to meet work requirements 23,550 adults
• (DHS Mgmt. Focus 7/03)

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Child Care Issues

• Child care is vital work support
• Parent responsibility agreement
• Parent choice is basic tenet
• What is quality child care?
• Safe, healthy nurturing environment?
• Or culturally appropriate pictures on the
  wall? 25

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• Diane Rath, Chair
• Texas Workforce Commission
• 463-2800
• diane.rath_at_twc.state.tx.us

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