by Lauren Canterberry
Post Date:
February 13, 2023

Georgia considers expanding family assistance to pregnant women

Name: WORLD
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A doctor uses a hand-held Doppler probe on a pregnant woman to measure the heartbeat of a fetus. Associated Press/Photo by Rogelio V. Solis, File

Georgia considers expanding family assistance to pregnant women

The Georgia House of Representatives passed a bill on Monday that would allow pregnant women to apply for the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Current Georgia law restricts qualification for TANF funds to low-income households with a child 18 years or younger. Children not being raised by their parents are also eligible for child-only TANF benefits. The bill will now go to the state Senate for consideration.

Why was this bill introduced? Rep. Soo Hong, R-Lawrenceville, introduced the bill after Gov. Brian Kemp suggested the legislation during his State of the State address last month. The state’s criteria for TANF benefits have not been changed in more than 30 years, and many lawmakers have called for the requirements to be updated. More than 5,700 families received TANF assistance in Georgia as of September 2022.

Dig deeper: Read Thaddeus Williams’ column in WORLD Opinions about deconstructing the arguments made against pro-life proponents.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.