Key Takeaways
Low-income mothers might be using welfare as a form of paid family leaveMost women enter the program around childbirth and leave within a yearActual paid leave policies might be preferable, researchers say
MONDAY, Jan. 13, 2025 (HealthDay news) — Low-income single mothers appear to be using welfare as a form of paid family leave following childbirth.
Most women who enter the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program after childbirth are in the program for less than a year, researchers reported in a study published recently in the Journal of Marriage and Family.
These women seem to be turning to the program for short-term help as they focus on their child, researchers said.
“This study shows that TANF is working to support some mothers during this critical life course transition,” researcher David Rothwell, chair of family policy with the Oregon State University College of Health, said in a news release from the college.
For the study, researchers analyzed birth data in Oregon from 2016 and 2017, comparing it with participation in the state-run, federally-funded TANF program.
Each year, about 38,000 babies are born in Oregon. More than 40% of those births are funded by Medicaid, a number that tracks with national trends, researchers said.
About one-quarter of low-income mothers relied on TANF at any time during the two years studied, results show, with about 70% participating during the six months after birth.
About 41% of the women enrolled around the time of delivery, and then were highly likely to leave the program within six months, researchers said.
TANF is the only cash assistance program available to low-income families, researchers said. In Oregon, first-time moms with low income are eligible for TANF in the ninth month of pregnancy, and families can receive monthly assistance for up to five years.
Oregon’s TANF program tends to be more generous than others — about 49% of poor families receive payments from the program, compared to 21% nationally, researchers said.
“In this way, the Oregon context is like an upper bound for TANF,” Rothwell said. “Some may look to this as an example of what TANF could be in their state. Or in some more restrictive states, they may look at the Oregon context and conclude, we never want our TANF to be that generous.”
Rothwell suspects that outright paid family leave would be preferable for these new mothers — an assertion that can be measured in a future study, given that Oregon established a taxpayer-funded paid family leave program in 2023.
Oregon’s paid leave program replaces 100% of a minimum-wage worker’s wages for 14 weeks. By comparison, someone earning $540 a week would receive only $449 monthly from TANF.
“I think paid leave is more appealing than TANF for more than just the higher benefit,” Rothwell said. “While both programs place administrative burdens on applicants, I think there are fewer hurdles associated with applying for paid leave.”
“There also isn’t a stigma attached to paid leave. It seems likely that many would-be short-term TANF users will opt for paid leave now that it’s available,” Rothwell added.
Paid leave programs also might help support workforce needs, Rothwell added. For every 100 job openings in Oregon, there currently are roughly 66 available workers.
“Mothers who take Paid Leave Oregon will probably be more likely to return to work than those who take TANF,” Rothwell said.
“It’s worth noting, though, that TANF has work requirements; you must work or have a plan to work to get the benefits — that was a big part of welfare reform in 1996,” Rothwell concluded. “But in Oregon there is a work requirement exemption of up to six months for women who give birth.”
More information
The U.S. General Services Administration has more information about Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
SOURCE: Oregon State University, news release, Jan. 7, 2024
What This Means For You
Expecting mothers should check out the paid family leave programs in their state.
