Association between Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and child maltreatment among a cohort of fragile families

Fathers' mental Ill-health and child maltreatment: A systematic review of the literature

“…Poverty may be more associated with forms of maltreatment such as neglect ( Isumi, Takeo, Nobutoshi, Manami, & Tsuguhiko, 2018 ) for example, by preventing a parent from meeting a child’s basic needs due to lack of money ( Berger, 2011 ). Direct interventions for poverty and neglect, such as financial support or the use of social welfare resources have been argued to be required to combat neglect ( Isumi et al, 2018 , van IJzendoorn et al, 2020 ) and other forms of maltreatment ( Spencer et al, 2021 ).…”

Women’s Lived Experiences with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): How TANF Can Better Support Women’s Wellbeing and Reduce Intimate Partner Violence

“…TANF cash benefits are not enough to raise a family above the poverty level [26] and, consequently, women in this study continued to experience economic stress, which has been linked to poor mental and physical health [111]. Increasing cash transfers to families has been associated with multiple benefits including increased family wellbeing [75] and reduced IPV among TANF [112] and non-TANF participants [113,114]. There are several mechanisms by which cash transfers to those experiencing poverty can be increased both in terms of the amounts provided and access to transfers.…”

“…Multiple quantitative studies have taken advantage of the differences in TANF generosity across states to examine the impact of TANF on wellbeing; however, these studies have produced mixed results. Some suggest that more generous TANF policies, or policies that provide greater access and resources, may protect against family violence [75,76] and make contributions to wellbeing among family members [77]. However, the quantitative literature is not conclusive on TANF's role in promoting economic or emotional wellbeing [78] or violence reduction [79] and provides a limited insight into the mechanisms by which TANF policies achieve their outcomes.…”

“…This community-based study seeks to begin to address gaps in the TANF-wellbeing literature using semi-structured interviews with women to explore the relationships between TANF and women's wellbeing and intimate partner relationships and how these relationships are moderated by structural discrimination. We use the Family Stress Model (FSM) [82,83] as the guiding framework for the study because it provides important insights into the linkages between experiencing low income, wellbeing, and family dynamics, including IPV [84] and TANF, which have been shown to relate to multiple constructs contained within the FSM [20,75,85]. Specifically, the FSM creators hypothesize that negative financial events, or "acute financial stress created by unfavorable changes in economic circumstances" (e.g., being sanctioned or experiencing a time limit that reduces family income), combined with low family per capita income, will produce economic pressure, or objective measures of economic hardship (e.g., inability to buy necessities or eviction due to lack of payment) [83].…”

The next generation of developmental psychopathology research: Including broader perspectives and becoming more precise

“…States have discretion in the generosity and implementation of these programs, including time limits, family caps, and the severity of sanctions for noncompliance with work requirements (Dunifon et al, 2006). Increased TANF cash benefits and access are associated with decreased child physical abuse, whereas time limits are associated with increased abuse (Spencer et al, 2021). Moreover, the generosity of state anti-poverty policies may buffer associations between poverty and both youth brain development and psychological functioning (Weissman et al, 2023).…”