Summary of 2026 TANF Block Grant Award

The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (ACF) awarded $234.6 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant funding (CFDA 93.558) to the State of Wisconsin Department of Children and Families for the fiscal year period October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. This funding enables Wisconsin to provide comprehensive assistance to low-income families with children, including financial assistance, employment training and job preparation services, child care support, and related social services designed to promote self-sufficiency and economic independence.

The TANF program supports Wisconsin's efforts to enable children to be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives, reduce dependence on government benefits through work promotion initiatives, prevent out-of-wedlock pregnancies, and encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families. As a prime recipient with substantial experience administering federal family services grants, the State of Wisconsin DCF implements the TANF program according to its state plan and collaborates with county governments, nonprofit organizations, and community service providers to deliver these critical services across the state. Funds are distributed in quarterly payments following ACF's determination that the state plan is complete.