California households received $617.5 million in child-only welfare cases in fiscal 2024
A federal report found that California accounted for nearly 70 percent of households and 81 percent of spending in immigration-related child-only TANF cases nationwide. The data cover fiscal year 2024 and show the state led all others by a wide margin.
New York PostMore than 85,000 households across the United States received cash assistance through child-only cases under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program in fiscal year 2024. Nearly 60,000 of those households were in California, and the state received roughly $617.5 million in benefits.
The same report noted that these cases are exempt from standard TANF work requirements and the 60-month lifetime limit.
Spending by state California represented about 16 percent of the state's overall TANF basic-assistance expenditures, with average monthly benefits reaching $875. New York recorded the next-highest amount at $47.5 million for approximately 7,600 households.
The report called for increased scrutiny of child-only cases and their effects on federal and state budgets. CalWORKS, which administers TANF in California, did not respond to a request for comment.
