Washington State Human Rights Commission

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Office of the Governor

Date: July 16, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4111

Gov. Gregoire Announces WorkFirst Successful in Helping More Families Break the Cycle of Poverty
OLYMPIA -- Governor Chris Gregoire today announced that the TANF caseload is down to its lowest level since 1967. TANF, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, is the state and federal assistance program commonly known as welfare.
"Fewer people on welfare is good for the state, it's good for the taxpayer and, most importantly, it's good for the families that are getting and keeping good jobs," said Governor Gregoire.
The number of families receiving TANF dropped to below 50,000 in June 2007 for the first time since 1979. The percentages are even more dramatic - 3.5 percent of the state population was receiving welfare in 1979, now only 1.8 percent of the population is receiving assistance. As a percentage of the population, the number of people on welfare is the lowest since 1967.
As shown by the decreasing caseloads, WorkFirst, Washington's welfare to work program, has been very successful in helping families get and keep the jobs they need to break the cycle of poverty. Instituted in 1997, the WorkFirst program focuses on education and job training to help low-income families become self-sufficient. Since 1997, WorkFirst has helped more than 175,000 parents stay off welfare.
The low TANF caseload and the success of WorkFirst has been bolstered by Washington's continuously strong economy. Ranked the fifth best state in the nation for business by Forbes.com, and with well-paying jobs in a diversity of industries, the Washington economy offers opportunities for every family.

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