The rate of trauma among TANF recipients is high. A study of TANF recipients in Utah found that 91.2 percent TANF recipients reported at least one adverse childhood experience compared to 58.9 percent of the general population. TANF recipients were also substantially more likely to report experiencing 5 or more adverse experiences (45.8 percent) compared to the general population (10.1 percent). You can find more detail in the study at this link: Utah TANF Characteristic Study (Wave 3 with ACES data).
Because of the high rates of trauma among TANF recipients, there has been some efforts to make TANF programs to become more “Trauma-informed.” These programs aim to provide safety, create a sense of belonging, help to provide recipients with greater agency and to affirm their dignity. Most TANF programs have a long way to go to be trauma-informed.
Helpful resources include the following:
Kellogg Foundation Trauma-Informed Family Coaching Toolkit
The Role of Trauma and Poverty in Decision-Making: Implications for OTDA (Includes TANF) Practices (buffalostate.edu) (ODTA is the agency in New York State that includes TANF.)
Trauma-informed Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): A Randomized Controlled Trial with a Two-Generation Impact – PubMed (nih.gov) (This is from a program in Philadelphia. There are additional resources listed on the page that this links to.)
Weathering: How Ongoing Stress Harms Black and Poor Americans (Re-broadcast) | Econofact Chats
This piece on addressing racial trauma may also be helpful: EAP-Understanding-and-Dealing-with-Racial-Trauma.pdf (cuny.edu)