FRANKFORT, Ky. (Oct. 21, 2004) – Kentucky was recently awarded more than $3 million for meeting the goals of the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.

Kentucky received $3,083,832 for its version of TANF, the Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program (K-TAP), which is administered by the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

K-TAP provides members of qualified households with temporary cash assistance, job training and help finding a job.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the awards earlier this month. Kentucky and 37 states, plus the District of Columbia, received high-performance bonuses, which are for moving clients from state assistance to employment, job retention and increased earnings.

The bonus money will go back into K-TAP programs.

Since September 2003, the cabinet’s Department for Community Based Services has received $17.5 million in performance bonus awards for administration of the K-TAP program.

This is the second high-performance bonus the cabinet has received recently. In September, the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded the state food stamp program nearly $2 million for providing customers timely service.

"I continue to be pleased with our staff’s commitment to providing quality services," said cabinet Secretary James W. Holsinger, Jr., M.D. "This award shows that we are working together with Kentucky families who need a helping hand toward self-sufficiency."

This August, K-TAP helped 32,249 Kentucky households – including 18,777 adults and 51,529 children.

"K-TAP gives families the tools they need to stabilize themselves during difficult times," said Dr. Eugene Foster, Ed. D, the cabinet’s undersecretary for Child and Family Services. "Temporary assistance is all many of them need while they make plans to improve their job skills or further their education."

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