Generous economic supports for children growing up in or near poverty effectively counter potentially harmful effects on their early development and boost their life chances as adults. In many cases, state legislators and officials have the ability to set policy options that create these needed supports for parents’ and children’s well-being.
To support advocates’ and policymakers’ understanding of these options, NCCP’s Family Economic Security (FES) team offers a growing set of resources to promote stronger state FES policies:
– Profiles of States’ Current TANF and SNAP Policies
– A 50-State Comparison of TANF Benefit Amounts
– A 50-State Comparison of Restrictions on TANF Access.
States that have adopted certain SNAP and TANF policies have witnessed reductions in child maltreatment, neglect, and foster care placements. NCCP provides an updated scorecard of enacted policies for each state as of 2024:
– A 50-State Comparison of SNAP Policies Linked to Child and Family Protection
– A 50-State Comparison of TANF Policies Linked to Child and Family Protection
The FES team reviews ongoing state legislative activity in connection with TANF, SNAP, and state-level tax credits and provides updates on such activity in a Legislative Library, provided in a downloadable spreadsheet.
NCCP’s FES team is providing a range of technical assistance supports to states, including policy analysis, simulation and analysis of benefit cliffs, assistance with messaging, and facilitating stakeholder groups working to strengthen FES supports. These sessions provide a forum for state advocates to share their expertise and build knowledge about FES policies. Featured presentations from past sessions include:
– State-Level Flexibilities for TANF Cash Assistance
– State-Level Flexibilities for SNAP
– State-Level Flexibilities for Tax Credits (EITC and CTC)
– Common Benefit Cliffs and Solutions Through State Flexibilities
– State-Level Regulation of Payday Lending
– Administrative Barriers and Solutions Through State Flexibilities
– SNAP and TANF Policies Linked to the Protection of Children and Families
(Contact NCCP’s Family Economic Security division to request information or assistance.)