Definitions for "Aid to Families with Dependent Children"
Keywords:  needy, tanf, afdc, adc, welfare
Commonly referred to as welfare, these two federal programs help families with dependent children by providing financial assistance each month. Eligible children are from low-income households and lack support of one or both parents.
The now-defunct federal entitlement program of cash assistance for poor families. Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) replaced AFDC on July 1, 1997, and established work requirements and lifetime limits on the receipt of benefits. Adults and children who meet former AFDC criteria for receipt of cash assistance are still eligible for Medicaid.
A state-based federal assistance program that provided cash payments to needy children (and their caretakers), who met certain income requirements. AFDC has now been replaced by a new block grant program.