Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

Montgomery County Department of Social Services offers the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.  TANF provides eligible families with a monthly cash payment to meet their basic needs if the family is responsible for the care of a minor.  Participants may be provided with services such as job skills training, work experience, job readiness training, child care assistance, transportation, and other work related expenses.  An eligible child must be under age 18, or if 18, will graduate from high school before age 19, going to school regularly if he is between the ages of five and 18,  living with a parent or other relative and a U.S. citizen or an eligible immigrant.

The TANF program initiative has time to limited benefits, a strong work requirement, and a social contract that sets out the responsibilities of and expectations for recipients of public assistance and the government.



Our mission is to assist families and individuals to achieve social and economic security and self-determination. The Department encourages and provides for participation in our programs, not as an end, but as a means to empower families and individuals to attain self-sufficiency and independence. In cases where client or community limitations preclude independence, the Department"s goal is to focus on those services which families and individuals cannot better provide for themselves and to do so in the least intrusive manner.

CommonHelp is the Commonwealth of Virginia’s fast and easy way to apply online for many Virginia social services assistance programs. Through a single online site, you can find out what assistance you might be eligible for and submit one application.  You can apply for Benefit Programs online at CommonHelp or by telephone by calling 1-855-635-4370.