Child and Family Services - Problems and Solutions

Problems and Solutions

There are many families in the United States and in other countries who are in need of child and family services to guide them towards building a better future. These children and their families, more often than not, have the desire to create and live better lives, unfortunately they do not have the resources or education on how to do so. Social Welfare is important in the United States to guarantee safety, health, equal opportunity, and social justice.

The Office of Family Assistance (OFA) is located in the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families and oversees the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program which was created by the Welfare Reform Law of 1996. TANF became effective July 1, 1997, and replaced what was then commonly known as welfare: Aid to Families with Dependent Children(AFDC) and the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS) programs. TANF was reauthorized in February 2006 under the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) provides assistance and work opportunities to needy families by granting states the federal funds and wide flexibility to develop and implement their own welfare programs. Citizens may apply for assistance at their local TANF agency.