Aid to Families with Dependent children (AFDC)

Building on the Depression era Aid to Dependent Children program, Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) provided financial assistance to needy families from the 1970s to 1996. The federal government provided broad guidelines and program requirements, and states were responsible for program formulation, benefit determinations, and administration. Eligibility for benefits was based on a state's [Page 15]standard of need as well as the income and resources available to the recipient. In 1996, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act replaced the AFDC program with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.