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Frequently Asked Questions about SPDP
What is SPDP?
Why SPDP?
What does SPDP cover?
How did SPDP get the information?
How is the website organized?
What's available now on the SPDP website?
How do I find information on my state?
How do I find comparisons of policies in all 50 states on a specific topic?
How do I find a quick summary of findings?
How current is SPDP's information?
What formats are the SPDP data presented in?
How can I get updates when new information is posted?
How do I cite SPDP data?
Who do I contact if I have a question or feedback about
SPDP?
What is SPDP?
The State Policy Documentation Project (SPDP) is a joint project of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Center for Law and Social Policy that tracks state policy
choices on Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) programs and Medicaid in the 50
states and the District of Columbia.
Why SPDP?
Federal welfare reform enacted in 1996 dramatically transformed policy and
funding for assistance to poor families and individuals. It replaced the Aid
to Families with Dependant Children (AFDC) program with Temporary Assistance to Needy
Families (TANF) and made significant changes to Medicaid, Food Stamps, and child care
programs. TANF both imposes significant new restrictions and offers substantial new
discretion to states. SPDP's goal is to provide information on state policy
choices.
What does SPDP cover?
The information presented on the SPDP website describes state
policy--statutes, regulations, and caseworker manuals--not practice. SPDP tracks
policy choices on a wide range of TANF and Medicaid issues.
How did SPDP get the information?
The data were collected through surveys completed by an independent policy
advocate or analyst in each state, then verified by state agency staff.
How is the website organized?
The information is presented in three ways: individual state policy
descriptions, 50-state policy comparisons, and summaries of policy issues. The Issues Index is a comprehensive list that links to all topics
available on the website.
What's available now on the SPDP website?
As of June 2001, information on is available on:
How do I find information on my state?
Clicking on any state in the map
of the United States will link you to state-specific information. The map can be
accessed by clicking the "States" button in the menu on every SPDP page.
Single state reports include data on TANF applications, categorical and
financial eligibility requirements, and state reproductive health and teen
policies in relation to cash assistance programs. They do not include other SPDP
data, such as time limits, work activities, and child care, that is reported as
50 state reports only.
How do I find comparisons of policies in all 50 states on a specific topic?
50-state comparisons on a number of important topics are currently available through the TANF applications page,
the Categorical
and financial eligibility page, the Medicaid page,
the Reproductive Health and Teens
page, the Time Limits page, the Work
Activities page, the Child Care page,
the Separate State Programs page,
the Sanctions page, and the
Cash Assistance Entitlement page.
The Issues Index cross-lists topics alphabetically.
How do I find a quick summary of findings?
Findings in brief provide background
and briefly summarize findings on each issue that is covered.
How current is SPDP's information?
The TANF survey (Application, Categorical and Financial
Eligibility, Reproductive Health and Teens, Medicaid) was initially fielded in early 1998, and survey respondents
answered based on legislation enacted through December 31, 2023 and any implementing
regulations. State agencies verified the information provided by respondents between
September 1998 and March 1999, and were asked to provide information on 1998 policy
changes. The data reflect information they provided on changes that went into effect
through December 31, 1998. The Reproductive Health and Teen Parent Provisions data
reflect policies in effect as of December 31, 1997. The second TANF survey (Time
Limits, Work Activities, Sanctions, Child Care, Separate State Program, Cash
Assistance Entitlement, Child Support) was fielded to respondents later in 1998.
The data was verified by state agencies between June and October 1999. The data
reflect information provided on changes as of October 1999.
What formats are the SPDP data presented in?
The 50-state reports are available in both HTML, to view on your screen, and
PDF, to save or print. Single-state reports on are only available in PDF.
How can I get updates when new information is posted?
To be added to the SPDP Updates listserv, e-mail the webmaster at [email protected] and include your name and e-mail
address.
How do I cite SPDP data?
Please cite the source of this
data as: State Policy Documentation Project, http://www.spdp.org,
a joint project of the Center for Law and Social Policy and the Center
on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Who do I contact if I have a question or feedback about SPDP?
E-mail the webmaster at [email protected].
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