TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Kate Prince on Oct 22, 2019

While researching state public assistance programs, the nonpartisan Beacon Center of Tennessee think tank discovered $730 million in unused federal block grant funds intended to help poor working families, the Tennessean reports. Tennessee receives $190.9 million each year from the federal government's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, but spent only $71.1 million last year. The leftover money went to a reserve fund that, as of September, totaled $732.7 million. Funds from the federal program are meant to provide temporary cash assistance, transportation, child care assistance, job training and other support services to help low-income working families.