Strategies for Addressing the Needs of Domestic Violence Victims Within the TANF Program: The Experience of Seven Counties, Final Report

• NCJ Number: 196989
• Author(s): Martha R. Burt; Janine M. Zweig; Kathryn Schlichter
• Date Published: June 2000
• Length: 115 pages
• Grant Number(s): HHS-100-95-0021
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Corporate Author: The Urban Institute
• Sale Source: The Urban Institute
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Downloaded September 25, 2002

Annotation

This report examines the operation of the Family Violence Option (FVO) of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program in seven TANF offices.

Abstract

The goal of this report was to examine how local TANF programs were employing the Family Violence Option (FVO). The FVO allows women who live in an abusive relationship to be exempt from the work requirement if working would endanger her or her children. Some of the questions under examination in this study include whether the States and localities have adopted the FVO, how they identify clients who live in a domestic violence situation, what they are using for screening tools, and what they are doing for clients who are identified as at risk. The authors visited seven county offices in five States to observe the operation of the offices in terms of the FVO. The States under examination in this study were Maryland, Oregon, Kansas, Florida, and Colorado. The authors found that the office’s basic approach to TANF played a major role in whether they ran a successful program and effectively handled domestic violence cases. The offices that most successfully identified domestic violence situations were those offices that pushed their clients toward self-sufficiency, rather than simply immediate employment. In terms of tools used to assess domestic violence situations, the researchers found many different tools in use in TANF offices. One tool was described as the overall ambiance of the office, including the presence of domestic violence brochures along with other self-help brochures. Another tool was a clearly worded screening questionnaire designed to identify those clients in need of domestic violence intervention. The researchers found that many of the offices had created a wide array of resources to support battered women, including arranging for on-site counseling, using TANF funds for supportive services, and presenting options for the woman’s continued participation in the TANF program. In conclusion, the researchers identify those approaches that are most successful so that other TANF offices can implement similar features. As stated earlier in the report, the most successful strategy was the promotion of long term self-sufficiency rather than simply immediate employment. Other successful approaches included an on-site domestic violence advocate and the creation of an adequate screening questionnaire.