Most Kansans are aware of former Governor Sam Brownbacks failed tax experiment, but fewer know of his equally flawed experimentation with the lives of Kansas children and families in poverty.
Beginning in 2011, Brownback initiated restrictions on federal aid through temporary assistance for needy families, or TANF, intended for poor families.
TANF provides cash assistance for families living in poverty as a result of job loss, divorce, health issues, domestic violence, the birth of a child, or other such disruptions in life. TANF encourages a transition from welfare to work, and states can design their own programs. TANF benefits are fully underwritten by the federal government, but federal law limits TANF lifetime benefits to no more than five years.
