The Cost of Family Fragmentation

This is the final post in the series on The Cost of Family Fragmentation. We hope that these numbers have served to inform you on the costs incurred by individual states on programs like TANF, SNAP, and WIC. 

Vermont’s TANF decreased by .04%, SNAP increased by more than 242%, and WIC costs showed only a .5% increase in five years. The conservative five year cost of family fragmentation of TANF, SNAP and WIC for Vermont is $222,809,027.79.

Virginia had a 16% increase in TANF expenditures, households had a 242% increase in annual SNAP costs, and a 22% increase in food costs for WIC.  The conservative five year cost of family fragmentation of TANF, SNAP and WIC for Virginia is $1,783,974,315.36.

Washington from 2007-2011 saw a 45% increase in TANF expenditures, households had a 267% increase in annual SNAP costs, and a 23% increase in food costs for WIC.  The conservative five year cost of family fragmentation of TANF, SNAP and WIC for Washington is $2,324,649,830.56.

West Virginia TANF costs nearly doubled with a 91% increase, SNAP expenditures per household increased by 181%, and WIC went up in expense by 25% over five years. The conservative five year cost of family fragmentation of TANF, SNAP and WIC for West Virginia is $842,920,242.60.

Wisconsin had a 26% increase in TANF expenditures, households had a 308% increase in annual SNAP costs, and the State saw a 25% increase in food costs for WIC. The conservative five year cost of family fragmentation of TANF, SNAP and WIC for Wisconsin is $1,712,133,112.56.

Wyoming had a 69% increase in TANF expenditures over the last five years, Wyoming households had a 210% increase in annual SNAP costs since 2007, and the State saw a 31% increase in food costs for WIC from 2007-2011.  The conservative five year cost of family fragmentation of TANF, SNAP and WIC for Wyoming is $101,532,176.28.

To read the entire article examining the costs of family fragmentation for each state, see the forthcoming issue of Regent Law Review, and the article by Rachel K. Toberty and Lynne Marie Kohm, entitled, “A 50 State Survey of the Costs of Family Fragmentation.” To subscribe to Regent Law Review see http://www.regent.edu/acad/schlaw/student_life/studentorgs/lawreview/subscriptions.cfm.