Final answer:
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996's goal was to decrease families' dependency on welfare through the introduction of TANF. This reform replaced AFDC, setting limits on how long families could receive benefits and mandating work requirements to foster self-sufficiency.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 was designed to reduce the number of families dependent on welfare. With the aim to encourage work and reduce welfare dependency, it replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). TANF shifted policies from indefinite aid to time-limited assistance, focusing on helping families achieve economic self-sufficiency.
Under TANF, recipients are generally required to find work within two years of beginning to receive aid and are subject to a lifetime limitation of five years of benefits. Programs now prioritize employment and training and include provisions for childcare to support working parents. This reform has been controversial, sparking debates about the effectiveness of encouraging work and whether it has succeeded in truly alleviating poverty among the poorest families.