It’s now been 30 years since New Jersey last adjusted cash assistance to its poorest families for inflation, and as a result more and more of the children in those families are falling through this largely shredded safety net each year.

New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) joined partners in the Anti-Poverty Network in a State House press conference this morning to call attention to dwindling cash assistance for New Jersey’s poor families through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program – and demand that lawmakers once again take steps to fix the problem.

NJPP also released a new Fact Sheet on the eroding TANF benefit, which now serves just 1 in 10 New Jersey kids living in poverty.

“It’s hard to believe, but New Jersey’s ranking in assisting the poorest children in the state has actually gotten worse,” said Raymond Castro, NJPP’s Director of Health Policy. “Last year New Jersey had the 10th lowest TANF benefit level compared to other states – and this year it is ranked seventh, falling behind states like Texas and Oklahoma. New Jersey need to invest in children like other states are doing – not ignore them like it has for the last 30 years.”

Contact: Jon Whiten, NJPP: 917-655-3313 (cell) | whiten@njpp.org