Forty percent of TANF recipients must be involved in at least 30 hours of work activity per week by the end of fiscal year 2000 as mandated by federal law. Another aspect of TANF's success is that it provides recipients with the opportunity to gain the skills they need to succeed in the workforce. TANF offers recipients support in making the leap from welfare to work. For example, parents who leave welfare for work may receive Medicaid for up to one year for themselves and their children. Parents leaving welfare are eligible to receive assistance with child care expenses, based on earned income.
Most families also continue to receive help from the food stamp program.
Despite the decline in cash assistance rolls in Oklahoma, the volume of case activities has remained relatively constant during the past seven years. Today's focus for TANF case managers is providing social services, offering guidance, moral support and diverting clients to community resources for assistance. If a client has a drug or alcohol problem, a substance abuse program will become part of the client's employability plan. The Work Supplementation Program is a subsidized employment opportunity where TANF participants are placed in full-time employment with an additional payment being made to the employer. Oklahoma was one of only 10 states to receive this bonus.