Overview

The TCA program provides cash assistance to families with children under the age of 18 or under age 19 if full time secondary (high school) school students, that meet the technical, income, and asset requirements. The program helps families become self-supporting while allowing children to remain in their own homes. Pregnant women may also receive TCA, either in the third trimester of pregnancy if unable to work, or in the 9th month of pregnancy. Parents, children and minor siblings who live together must apply together.

TCA Benefits Eligibility Rules

A person must pass all eligibility rules to get TCA benefits.

• Time Limits: Cash assistance is limited to a lifetime total of 48 months as an adult (except for child-only cases, which have no time limit).
• Work Rules: Some people must participate in work activities unless they meet an exemption. Regional Workforce Boards provide work activities and services needed to get or keep a job.
• Income and Deductions: Gross income must be less than 185% of the Federal Poverty Level, and countable income cannot exceed the payment standard for the family size. Individuals receive a $90 deduction from their gross earned income.
• Citizenship: Individuals must be U.S. citizens or qualified non-citizens.
• Residency: Individuals must live in the state of Florida.
• SSN: Individuals must provide a Social Security Number or proof that they have applied for one.
• Assets: A family's countable assets must be equal to or less than $2,000. Licensed vehicles needed for individuals subject to the work requirement may not exceed a combined value of $8,500.
• Relationship: A child must be living in the home maintained by a parent or a relative who is a blood relative of the child.
• Child Support Cooperation: The parent or caretaker relative must cooperate with child support enforcement to identify and locate parents not living in the child's home, prove the child's legal relationship to the parent, and obtain court-ordered child support payments.
• Immunization: Children under age 5 must be up to date with childhood immunizations (shots).
• Learnfare: Children age 6 to 18 must attend school, and parents/caretakers must attend school conferences.

TCA - Relative Caregiver Program

This program provides monthly cash assistance to relatives who meet eligibility rules and have custody of a child under age 18 who has been court ordered dependent by a Florida court and placed in their home by a DCF Child Welfare/Community Based Care (CW/CBC) contracted provider. The monthly cash assistance amount is higher than the Temporary Cash Assistance for one child, but less than the amount paid for a child in the foster care program.

Only the child's income and assets are counted when determining eligibility and payment amounts. Payments are based on the child's age and any countable income. Monthly payments for children with no countable income are as follows:

• Age 0 through 5 - $242 per child
• Age 6 through 12 - $249 per child
• Age 13 through 17 - $298 per child

Relative Caregiver Benefits Eligibility Rules

Only the child must pass all eligibility rules to get Relative Caregiver benefits.

• Citizenship: Individuals must be U.S. citizens or qualified non-citizens.
• Residency: Individuals must live in the state of Florida.
• SSN: Child must have a Social Security number or proof of application.
• Assets: Child's countable assets must be equal to or less than $2,000.
• Relationship: Relative caregiver must be within the specified degree of relationship to the parent or stepparent of the child.
• Income: Child's net countable income cannot exceed the payment standard for the child's age (see payment amounts above).
• Child Support Cooperation: Relative caregiver must cooperate with child support enforcement to identify and locate parents, prove a child's legal relationship, and obtain court-ordered child support payments.
• Immunizations: Children under age 5 must be current with immunizations.
• Learnfare: Children age 6 to 18 must attend school.

Detailed information about the Temporary Cash Assistance Program is available in the Temporary Cash Assistance Program Fact Sheet .

For information about other ACCESS Florida programs, visit the Medicaid and Food Assistance pages.

Optional State Supplementation

The Optional State Supplementation (OSS) Program provides monthly cash payments to indigent elderly or disabled individuals who live in special non-institutional, residential living facilities, including assisted living facilities, adult family care homes and mental health residential treatment facilities. To qualify for OSS, an individual must need assistance with the activities of daily living due to physical and/or mental conditions. The program provides a monthly check that supplements the individual’s income so they can pay the facility a provider rate established by DCF.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Maintenance of Effort (MOE) Resources

This page provides informational resources for agencies required to report state expenditures that will be counted towards the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Maintenance of Effort requirement.

• TANF Overview: This document summarizes the basic provisions of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program. View TANF Overview
• MOE Resource Material: This document is a collection of the statutory and regulatory provisions of federal law related to the TANF Maintenance of Effort Requirement. View MOE Resource Material
• TANF Annual Report: This is the Annual Report submitted. View TANF Report for 2021-2022