Temporary Assistance for Needy Families – Tennessee

Critics fear TN bill tying welfare to grades puts kids in harm’s way, By Heidi Hall, April 10, 2013, The Tennessean: “Children in Tennessee could become the first in the nation to determine whether their families receive full welfare benefits — they fail a grade, and the state yanks 30 percent of their cash payouts under a bill the state Senate will take up Thursday. The bill’s sponsor says it’s actually aimed at parents, who can regain benefits after their children fail. They would do that by attending parenting classes or teacher conferences or by enrolling their kids in tutoring or summer school. But in the end, the folks who make pass-or-fail decisions are students and the teachers who grade them. There are no data on how the plan might work because no other state has tried it. But some educators and parents already fear what will happen to children in unstable homes who cost their parents money…”