Using Vouchers to Deliver Social Services: Considerations Based on the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program Experiences

Vouchers are one strategy for delivering public services in a way that makes the consumer the central figure in deciding when and where to receive services. Vouchers also present a unique opportunity to expand the role of faith- and community-based organizations in the network of publicly funded services. This report examines how vouchers were used in the CCDF and TANF programs and the degree to which this funding mechanism supports the goals of maximizing client choice and expanding the service delivery network to include faith- and community-based organizations. The report notes that vouchers are used to subsidize the consumer-demand services of child care and training for TANF recipients, but TANF program administrators have not considered using them for other services. In addition, CCDF and TANF administrators do not seem to consider vouchers as a specific means of expanding the role of faith- and community-based organizations in the service delivery network.