Contact us:

Phone       
773.336.6086

E-mail
ntjn@heartlandalliance.org

Address                        
National Transitional Jobs Network
in c/o Heartland Alliance   
4411 N. Ravenswood         
2nd Floor
Chicago, IL 60640                         

The passage of the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) significantly changed the structure of the work requirements mandated in the federal TANF program. As before, states must ensure that 50 percent of families with an adult recipient—and 90 percent of two-parent households receiving assistance—are participating in a set of work activities (defined in the law) for a set number of hours.

In addition, the passage of the DRA reduced state flexibility around defining the specific work activities. Under TANF, there are 12 categories of work activities that count toward work participation rates; nine of these are considered “core” activities, while the other three are considered “non-core” and are countable only upon completion of at least 20 hours per week of core activities.

With these additional regulations, Transitional Jobs remains a practical option for retaining a comprehensive program that successfully transitions TANF recipients to permanent employment and meets states’ work requirements under the new legislation.

To advocate for the DRA's impact on Transitional Jobs, click here to view a sample letter advocating for changes in allowable work activities.

For more information, click here to view Increasing Opportunities: Creating and Expanding Transitional Jobs Programs for TANF Recipients under the Deficit Reduction Act

Click here to listen to a conference call entitled: Transitional Jobs for Hard-to-Employ TANF Recipients: The Creation and Expansion of TJ programs within the Guidelines of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.