Alabama Families Living in Poverty Hit Hard by Welfare Reform

Esther Ciammachilli | June 24, 2016

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A recent report by the public radio show, Marketplace, found that Alabama spends only 38% of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds on core areas. TANF, in its simplest terms is a federal welfare program designed for needy children and their caretakers. The number of families living in poverty in Alabama has risen, but the number of families currently receiving TANF funding has dropped. We talk more about this with Nick Patterson, editor of the weekly newspaper WELD. Patterson talks with WBHM’s Esther Ciammachilli about what’s really happening with the TANF program in Alabama.