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TANF State Plan FFY 2026 Effective October 1, 2025 Page 4 of 24 1. INTRODUCTION Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is the federal program that replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program under federal welfare reform legislation, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), P. L. 104-193. The program is supervised by the State of Idaho, through the Department of Health and Welfare (Department). The TANF block grant is used to provide cash assistance, services, and work programs for needy families, utilizing federal TANF funds along with state funds to develop and deliver services to needy families. Idaho operates its TANF program in accordance with this plan; Idaho Statute Title 56, Public Assistance and Welfare, Chapter 2, Public Assistance; and Idaho Administrative Rules. This plan was approved and in effect as of September 30, 1995. The State of Idaho (the State) will amend its TANF State Plan whenever the Department determines there is a significant change in program policy or rule. In the event of changes to Idaho’s TANF program, the rules are published in the Administrative Rules Bulletin with legal notices regarding the changes published in Idaho’s major daily newspapers. The public has 12 days to comment on rule changes. This document, Idaho’s TANF State Plan, was posted on the Department’s web site October 23,2025 at http://www.healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. Notice of this posting and the opportunity to comment (October 23– December 7, 2025) were published in Idaho’s major daily newspapers October 23, 24, 25, and 28, 2025. This provided the mandatory 45-day period for public review and comment. A. Administration Idaho employs a service area structure working in concert with a centralized business office to ensure effective delivery of the program. Appendix A is a chart of the Department’s structure. Service delivery is provided at the local level by Department employees and contracted staff. B. Department Mission and Program Goals The Department’s mission is to create and support an environment that encourages family responsibility and self-reliance while promoting and protecting the health and safety of Idahoans. The overriding goal of Idaho’s TANF program is to help Idaho’s needy families achieve self-sufficiency by providing them access to job preparation, work, and support services. C. Program Purposes and Use of Funds The purpose of the TANF program is to help participants secure employment by offering support and assistance. Achieving this goal requires collaboration beyond what the government alone can provide. Success depends on strong partnerships between participants, their families, local communities, and employers working together to promote employment and self-reliance. Department resources for applicants and participants will be provided in the following priority order, when applicable: Child Support Services (CSS); child care assistance; other Department services such as Medicaid, Food Stamps, Aid to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (AABD); and finally, TANF. Idaho uses TANF funds to accomplish the following purposes established by P.L. 104-193 (42 U.S.C. 601(a)(1)): • Provide assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives.