What do TANF and CalWORKs mean?
The federal welfare reform law, The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, replaced AFDC, EA and JOBS or GAIN and created TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). This is the federal cash assistance program for families, which contains many work requirements. It provides a block grant to states to assist needy families and created new work requirements and time limits. CalWORKs stands for the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids Program. It is California’s name for the federal TANF program.
