The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant is designed to provide temporary cash assistance to families in poverty — primarily those with no other means to meet basic needs — but its reach has shrunk considerably over time. In 2020, for every 100 families in poverty, only 21 received cash assistance from TANF, down from 68 families when TANF was first enacted in 1996. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic crisis — a precarious time for families — this “TANF-to-poverty ratio” (TPR) is the lowest in the program’s history. If TANF had maintained the same reach to families in poverty as its predecessor, Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), had in 1996, 3.44 million families would have received TANF in 2020, about 2.38 million more than reported for that year. Our analysis finds that: TANF provides temporary cash assistance to few poor families and its reach continues to shrink, both nationally and in nearly every state. Though TANF caseloads grew in many states in 2020, the program’s benefit levels are extremely low in many states, falling far short of what families need to meet their basic needs. A history of racist policies that limited Black mothers’ access to family cash assistance programs continues to contribute to racial disparities in access to TANF today. Nationally, Black children are less likely than white children and somewhat less likely than Latino children to have access to TANF assistance when their families fall into crisis. TANF lifts far fewer families out of deep poverty (that is, incomes below half of the poverty line) than AFDC and has put poor children at risk of much greater hardship. Research shows that even relatively small amounts of additional family income make a difference to children’s well-being, now and in the future.