Life would become even harder for thousands of Oregon’s poorest children if lawmakers fail to fill a budget gap. The legislature’s budget writers have proposed a list of cuts to Oregon’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program that they are prepared to make in the absence of new revenue.

TANF helps families that have fallen on hard times avoid homelessness and get back on their feet. Many are single women and children escaping abuse. Because a TANF family must have few assets and little earnings to qualify, TANF serves only Oregon’s poorest households with dependent children.

The proposed cuts would drive about 11,000 Oregon children deeper into poverty, making their life prospects even bleaker.