Despite the program's size, fewer families now receive direct cash assistance than in previous decades. Federal data shows that about 849,000 families received monthly TANF payments in fiscal year 2025, down from approximately 1.9 million families in 2010. Instead, states have increasingly directed funds to contractors, nonprofits and other government programs. Nick Gwyn, a policy expert with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said the shift reflects a broader transformation in how the program operates. 'The program has drifted away from the core purpose of supporting families with very little income,' Gwyn told the WSJ. More than $30 billion...