Florida’s Welfare Transition Program enables welfare recipients to move from welfare to work by emphasizing self-sufficiency and personal responsibility.
Florida Recipients of Temporary Cash Assistance must register for work and participate in assigned work activities.
Contact your local One-Stop Career Center for more information or see the Welfare Transition Program Fact Sheet.
Program History
In October of 1996 two acts (one Federal and one State) were passed that dramatically changed welfare programs in the state of Florida.
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), Public Law 104-193 eliminated the open-ended federal entitlement program, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, and replaced it with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant. This legislation changed the nation’s welfare system from the receipt of cash assistance as an entitlement to one that requires work in exchange for time-limited assistance. The block grant also included flexibility in funding that allows states to develop programs to meet one of the four purposes of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families:
- Provide assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives;
- End the dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work and marriage;
- Prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and establish annual numerical goals for preventing and reducing the incidence of these pregnancies; and
- Encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.
Florida enacted the Work and Gain Economic Self-Sufficiency Act. The act was developed to implement the requirements of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and to emphasize work, self-sufficiency, and personal responsibility.
In October of 2000, Florida passed the Florida Workforce Innovation Act (Senate Bill 2050), which redefined Florida’s welfare delivery system by replacing the former Work and Gain Economic Self-Sufficiency Program with the Welfare Transition Program. This legislation also consolidated the state workforce and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families programs under one board, Workforce Florida, Inc. The act created the Department of Economic Opportunity, which provides administrative and program guidance for workforce programs. Workforce, welfare, and employment services are delivered by the 24 Regional Workforce Boards via the local One-Stop Career Centers.
Florida Resources
Learn about programs that strengthen Florida families.
If you or someone you know is suffering from domestic violence, help is available. Find the local certified domestic violence center near you, or call the toll-free statewide hotline at 1(800)500-1119.
Learn about Florida’s statewide, business-led, workforce policy board.
Apply for Florida Food Assistance, Temporary Cash Assistance and Medicaid.
Find affordable telephone service for low-income households.
Find out about services for the homeless, information about assisted living, and safety guidelines for the elderly.
National Resources
Find out if you are eligible to receive government benefits.
Find valuable parenting information and services for dads.
National Fatherhood Initiative | National Center for Fathering
Learn about Nutrition Assistance Programs for children and low-income individuals.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health problems or substance abuse, help is available. Find a treatment center near you, or call the 24-hour Helpline at 1(800)662-HELP (4357).
Find information about how to improve your family's health.