TANF Inst. 3

TANF Data Report - Section Three
Aggregated Data Collection for
Families Applying for, Receiving, and
No Longer Receiving Assistance under the TANF Program
INSTRUCTIONS AND DEFINITIONS
General Instruction: The State agency or Tribal grantee are to collect and report data
for each data element, unless explicitly instructed to leave the field blank. Monthly
caseload counts (e.g., number of families, number of two-parent families, and number of
closed cases) and number of recipients must be unduplicated monthly totals. States and
Tribal grantees may use samples to estimate the monthly totals only for data elements #4,
#5, #6, #15, #16, and #17.
1.

State FIPS Code: Enter your two-digit State code. Tribal grantees should leave this field
blank.

2.

Tribal Code: For Tribal grantees only, enter the three-digit Tribal code that represents
your Tribe (See Appendix E of the TANF Sampling and Statistical Methods Manual for a
complete listing of Tribal Codes). State agencies should leave this field blank.

3.

Calendar Quarter: The four calendar quarters are as follows:
First quarter .....January - March
Second quarter.... April - June
Third quarter......July - September
Fourth quarter.....October - December
Enter the four-digit year and one-digit quarter code (in the format YYYYQ) that
identifies the calendar year and quarter for which the data are being reported (e.g., first
quarter of 1997 is entered as "19971").
APPLICATIONS

Guidance: The term "application" means the action by which an individual indicates in writing
to the agency administering the State (or Tribal) TANF Program his/her desire to receive
assistance.
Instruction: All counts of applications should be unduplicated monthly totals.
4.

Total Number of Applications: Enter the total number of approved and denied
applications received for each month of the quarter. For each month in the quarter, the
total in this item should equal the sum of the number of approved applications (in item
#5) and the number of denied applications (in item #6). The monthly totals for this

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element may be estimated from samples.
A. First Month: B. Second Month: C. Third Month:
5.

Total Number of Approved Applications: Enter the number of applications approved
during each month of the quarter. The monthly totals for this element may be estimated
from samples.
A. First Month: B. Second Month: C. Third Month:

6.

Total Number of Denied Applications: Enter the number of applications denied (or
otherwise disposed of) during each month of the quarter. The monthly totals for this
element may be estimated from samples.
A. First Month: B. Second Month: C. Third Month:

ACTIVE CASES
For purposes of completing this report, include all TANF eligible families receiving assistance
(i.e., families funded under the TANF block grant and State MOE funded TANF families) as
families receiving assistance under the State (Tribal) TANF Program. All counts of families and
recipients should be unduplicated monthly totals.
7.

Total Amount of Assistance: Enter the dollar value of all assistance (cash and non-cash)
provided to TANF families under the State (Tribal) TANF Program for each month of the
quarter. Round the amount of assistance to the nearest dollar.
A. First Month: B. Second Month: C. Third Month:

8.

Total Number of Families:
Guidance: The total in this item should equal the sum of the number of two-parent
families (in item #9), the number of one-parent families (in item #10) and the number of
no-parent families (in item #11).
Instruction: Enter the number of families receiving assistance under the State (Tribal)
TANF Program for each month of the quarter.
A. First Month: B. Second Month: C. Third Month:

9.

Total Number of Two-parent Families:
Guidance: There is no definition of a two-parent family in statute. The TANF rules
allow States (Tribes) to define a two-parent family as long as their definition includes the
following minimum definition. For the purpose of calculating the two-parent families
work participation rate, a two-parent family includes, at a minimum, all families with two
natural or adoptive parents (of the same minor child) who are work-eligible individuals
and living in the home, unless both are minors and neither is a head-of-household. States
(Tribes) may expand on this definition.

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Include in the count of two-parent families, all families that meet the State's (Tribe's)
definition of a two-parent family. Also, included all families with a noncustodial parent
(as the second parent) that the State opted to include in the two-parent families work
participation rate.
Instruction: Enter the total number of two-parent families receiving assistance under the
State (Tribal) TANF Program for each month of the quarter.
A. First Month: B. Second Month: C. Third Month:
10.

Total Number of One-Parent Families: Enter the total number of one-parent families
receiving assistance under the State (Tribal) TANF Program for each month of the
quarter.
A. First Month: B. Second Month: C. Third Month:

11.

Total Number of No-Parent Families:
Guidance: The count of no-parent families includes child-only families and families with
a caretaker relative as the head-of-household.
Instruction: Enter the total number of no-parent families receiving assistance under the
State (Tribal) TANF Program for each month of the quarter.
A. First Month: B. Second Month: C. Third Month:

12.

Total Number of Recipients: Enter the total number of recipients receiving assistance
under the State (Tribal) TANF Program for each month of the quarter. The total in this
item should equal the sum of the number of adult recipients (in item #13) and the number
of child recipients (in item #14).
A. First Month: B. Second Month: C. Third Month:

13.

Total Number of Adult Recipients: Enter the total number of adult recipients receiving
assistance under the State (Tribal) TANF Program for each month of the quarter.
A. First Month: B. Second Month: C. Third Month:

14.

Total Number of Child Recipients: Enter the total number of child recipients receiving
assistance under the State (Tribal) TANF Program for each month of the quarter.
A. First Month: B. Second Month: C. Third Month:

15.

Total Number of Noncustodial Parents Participating in Work Activities: Enter the total
number of noncustodial parents participating in work activities (even if not receiving
assistance) under the State (Tribal) TANF Program for each month of the quarter. The
monthly totals for this element may be estimated from samples.
A. First Month: B. Second Month: C. Third Month:

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16.

Total Number of Births: Enter the total number of newborns eligible for assistance in
families receiving assistance under the State (Tribal) TANF Program for each month of
the quarter. The monthly totals for this element may be estimated from samples.
A. First Month: B. Second Month: C. Third Month:

17.

Total Number of Out-of-Wedlock Births: Enter the total number of out-of-wedlock
births in families receiving assistance under the State (Tribal) TANF Program for each
month of the quarter. The monthly totals for this element may be estimated from
samples.
A. First Month: B. Second Month: C. Third Month:

CLOSED CASES
18.

Total Number of Closed Cases: Enter the total number of closed cases for each month of
the quarter.
A. First Month: B. Second Month: C. Third Month:

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