CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The administration of Gov. Patrick Morrisey has released a statement outlining its review of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funding and its plans to maintain program funding after concerns arose over West Virginia’s School Clothing Allowance Program, which recently stopped accepting applications earlier than expected after officials said funding had been exhausted.
In a statement released Monday, Communications Director Lars Dalseide said the administration found the state’s TANF-funded programs facing significant financial challenges after taking office.
“When this Administration began reviewing West Virginia’s TANF-funded programs, the first data we received described a program in crisis,” Dalseide said. “The state was spending far more each year than the federal grant provides, and the savings that had covered the difference were nearly gone.”
The statement also said the state’s eligibility system, which it says has cost nearly $400 million, cannot reliably track spending in real time.
“A state cannot manage what it cannot measure. That is why the Governor ordered a comprehensive review: not to reduce support for families, but to establish what West Virginia actually spends, what it actually receives, and what it can sustain,” Dalseide said.
According to the governor’s office, Morrisey has directed the West Virginia Department of Human Services to maintain current spending levels for all TANF programs through the end of the current fiscal year. The administration also plans to seek a supplemental appropriation of $10 million to $15 million from surplus funds to keep programs funded through June 30, 2027, as federal TANF funds are expected to be nearly exhausted by then.
Addressing the School Clothing Allowance Program specifically, the administration said it aimed to provide support comparable to last year’s program while balancing funding for other TANF-supported services.
“Our goal was to keep support consistent with last year while making sure the state’s capped federal TANF funding can still cover the other programs that depend on it,” Dalseide said. “Last year the School Clothing Allowance spent roughly $11.4 million and assisted approximately 57,000 children. Applications for this year’s program are still being processed and verified, and we expect this year’s program to match or exceed last year’s level of support.”
The statement also compared West Virginia’s clothing assistance program with similar programs in other states, saying West Virginia is one of only a few states offering a statewide school clothing program and that its level of funding ranks among the nation’s highest.
The governor’s office also disputed claims that unused TANF funds remain available, saying two separate figures have been misunderstood.
According to the statement, the state’s annual federal TANF block grant provides about $98.8 million, while current spending totals nearly $137 million. Officials said the difference has been covered by savings accumulated in previous years, which have declined from about $141 million three years ago to approximately $41 million today.
“Every dollar still in it is already committed to child care for working parents, cash assistance, family support centers, and the other programs paid for out of this same grant, so money spent on any one of them is money taken from the others,” Dalseide said.
The administration attributed the funding challenges to decisions made under the previous administration, stating that one-time federal COVID-19 funding was used to support ongoing programs.
“The prior administration committed West Virginia to permanent, long-term obligations using one-time, temporary federal money in the savings account the state was only ever going to have once,” Dalseide said. “Larry Pack was that administration’s acting revenue chief when those commitments were made. He kicked the can down the road, and it landed on these children.”
Looking ahead, the governor’s office said Morrisey intends to work with the Legislature to develop a long-term funding solution for TANF-supported programs while continuing efforts to improve accountability and transparency.
“Governor Patrick Morrisey’s policies will always put kids first. He fights for kids, and he is working to make sure they have the benefit of these programs for the long term – funded through sustainable revenue sources,” Dalseide said.
