At the height of the recession, already impoverished families were struggling. Legislation made the decision to increase the budget for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. Now that the economy is stabilizing, the State Audit recommended that the budget be reconsidered.

“We need to do everything we can to help the most vulnerable Oregonians participate in Oregon’s economic recovery,” said Secretary of State Kate Brown.

TANF, run by the Department of Human Services, provides monthly assistance to needy families. Monthly cash payments are sent by the TANF to 35,000 families in Oregon who have children under the age of 18 and case workers aid adults to find ways to increase independence and stability.

Ninety-six percent of these families have zero income.

When Legislature increased the TANF budget, they also cut expenditures for client services which resulted in a reduction for job training for parents. As part of the program’s reevaluation DHS wants to add an additional 160 case workers to improve case management. Currently, due to a caseload increase, there are approximately 200 families per case manager.

The current budget for TANF’s  biennium is $500 million.

Now, due to the growth in caseloads and service cuts, TANF has been hindered in their ability to move clients to a more stable and independent place.

“Our audit is a first step to improving vital services for Oregon’s neediest parents,” Brown said. 

The auditors have found that few hours are spent by the clients in activities that would make them self-sufficient, and case records revealed gaps in which clients were not asked to do anything. The auditors tested June 2013. In this month, two thirds of the clients had no activity recorded.

“We highlighted some of the successful efforts we found in Oregon and other states to help these families,” Gary Blackmer, director of the Oregon Audits Division, said. “With the economy recovering, it’s also a good time for the Legislature to revisit budget and program decisions made during the recession.”

While the improvement in the economy has reduced some cases, it has not been enough to achieve pre-recession levels.

“I’m looking forward to rolling up our sleeves and helping parents get the services they need so that they can get back to work,” Brown said.