In general, the goal of welfare reform is to reduce the number of individuals or families that depend on government assistance programs like food stamps and TANF and help those recipients become self-sufficient.
Although one crucial feature of the 1996 welfare reform law—time limits—has still not been fully implemented, the results of reform thus far are striking. Since the law terminated the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program and replaced it with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, welfare caseloads have fallen dramatically.
Above all, experience with welfare reform since 1996 shows conclusively that most low-income families are capable of finding and holding jobs while, with government support, increasing the financial well-being of their children. Welfare reform has been a triumph for the federal government and the states — and even more for single mothers.
Bill Clinton ‘s 1992 presidential campaign placed welfare reform at its center, claiming that his proposal would “end welfare as we have come to know it.” Four years later, with a Republican-dominated Congress, Clinton set about to deliver on his campaign promise, overhauling the government-funded program.
