As described by the Missouri Department of Social Services, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, also known as Temporary Assistance (TA), is a program designed to provide cash benefits to low-income families for the household’s children such as clothing, utilities and other services. Upon approval of TA, the recipient must participate in employment and training services through the Missouri Work Assistance(MWA) program. The MWA program helps TA recipients transition from TA to a job by helping set goals and get the skills needed to find a job and support the recipient’s family.

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) MICA provides data about this recipient pool of Missouri residents based on relationship (family, adult, child, or person). Like most other MICAs, the data here is based on county of residence, not county of services.

Geography - TANF Regions

A special geography, TANF Region, is available in this MICA. The table below shows the Missouri counties associated with each Family Service Area.

Family Service Area Missouri Counties Served
Family Service Area 1 Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Caldwell, Carroll, Cass, Chariton, Clay, Clinton, Cooper, Daviess, DeKalb, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Howard, Johnson, Lafayette, Linn, Livingston, Mercer, Nodaway, Pettis, Polk, Putnam, Randolph, Ray, Saline, Sullivan, Worth
Family Service Area 2 Adair, Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Clark, Cole, Franklin, Gasconade, Jefferson, Knox, Lewis, Lincoln, Macon, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Osage, Pike, Ralls, St. Charles, Schuyler, Scotland, Shelby, Warren
Family Service Area 3 Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Crawford, Dent, Dunklin, Howell, Iron, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Oregon, Pemiscot, Perry, Reynolds, Ripley, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard, Washington, Wayne
Family Service Area 4 Barry, Barton, Bates, Benton, Camden, Cedar, Christian, Dade, Dallas, Douglas, Greene, Henry, Hickory, Jasper, Laclede, Lawrence, McDonald, Maries, Miller, Moniteau, Morgan, Newton, Ozark, Phelps, Polk, Pulaski, St. Clair, Stone, Taney, Texas, Vernon, Webster, Wright
Family Service Area 5 Jackson
Family Service Area 6 St. Louis City
Family Service Area 7 St. Louis County