It wasn’t everything the state had hoped for but Gov. M. Jodi Rell announced this weekend that the state received $34 million in federal stimulus funds to help needy families.
The maximum amount the state could have received was $133 million.
“The unprecedented recession has turned so many lives upside down resulting in many families asking for help for the first time,“ Rell said. “My administration will continue to do all it an to provide then with these much-needed safety nets.”
The federal stimulus money the state received will be used to help administer the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families fund. The fund provides basic cash assistance, subsidized employment, emergency shelter and supportive housing services and help for families on the verge of utility shut-offs.
“The volatile economy continues to put enormous strain on Connecticut families in crisis and these funds will allow us to provide financial stability and help them meet their short-term needs,” Rell said. “Parents will be able to care for their children without fear of upheaval and uncertainty.”
The $34 million reimburses the state for 80 percent of the TANF expenditures retroactive to Oct. 1, 2008 and through December of this year. The federal government authorized $5 billion nationally in 2009 for the purpose of helping needy families.
