Life on Welfare: The Active TANF Caseload In Maryland

This study of Maryland's Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) caseload was undertaken to provide policy makers and program managers with empirical data on the characteristics, circumstances, and prospects of the adults and children who currently receive cash assistance. As caseloads have declined across the country, most research and political attention has focused on the characteristics and post-welfare circumstances of clients who have exited the welfare rolls. However, answers to the question of "Who is on welfare today?" are more critical for the task at hand: making program and policy decisions for the next few years that are consistent with and responsive to the circumstances and needs of today's cash assistance clients.