In 1996, fulfilling his campaign pledge to “end welfare as we know it,” President William Jefferson Clinton signed into existence the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA). The PRWORA replaced the former federal system of welfare, Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). As its title reflects, TANF is designed around the concept of temporary need, with emphasis on short time limits for assistance and transitioning recipients into the work force. Although the key word in the new welfare scheme is “temporary,” women who receive temporary assistance are subject to conditions that may require them to permanently alter their lives. Women applying for temporary public assistance under the PRWORA must cooperate in establishing the paternity of their children or be denied relief.