Recommendations for improving New Mexico’s TANF program

Posted on by Favi Ramirez
The four purposes of the TANF program are as follows: 1. Provide assistance to needy families so that children can be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives. 2. End the dependence of needy parents by promoting job preparation, work, and marriage. 3. Prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies. 4. Encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families. Source: Office of Family Assistance, Offices of the Administration of Children and Families, 2020; https;//www.acf.hhs.gov/ofa/programs/tanf/about

A new brief from the National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families highlights aspects of New Mexico’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) system that might make it challenging for Hispanic applicants to navigate. For example, while Spanish language information on the TANF cash assistance program is available to applicants, this information is not easily accessible on mobile devices. The brief provides recommendations from TANF practitioners on how the program can better support Hispanic families.