Conversion of Child-Only Cases

Q1: Some States are under the impression that after a family hits the five-year time limit, the State could declare the children a child-only case and use TANF funds to provide them with assistance. Is this permissible under the final rules?

A: In the preamble to the final rules (62 FR 17740), we indicated that it would be inconsistent with statutory intent for States to provide federally funded assistance to children in child-only cases when their parents reach the 60-month limit on Federal assistance. In lieu of specific restrictions on how States define their families, we indicated that we would gather information through the reporting system that will enable us to monitor trends and assess whether States' policies might be affecting their achievement of TANF goals. We will report findings in our annual report to Congress. Also, if it appears that States are undermining the statutory provisions and avoiding TANF requirements by converting cases to child-only status, we will consider proposing regulatory or legislative remedies.