In August 1996, President Clinton signed the federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) into law, which brought the greatest changes to the federal welfare system since the government began giving cash assistance to needy families some 65 years ago. The PRWORA replaced the entitlement program Aid To Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) with the Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) program. The federal government now awards block grants to states and gives them wide latitude in the use of the money. The federal law outlines basic program requirements, such as work requirements for participants and a five-year total lifetime limit on assistance. Within these basic rules, the states are free to design and run programs as they see fit.

In response to the new federal law, the Colorado General Assembly enacted Senate Bill 97-120, which established the Colorado Works program to serve as Colorado's TANF program. The legislation identified three major goals of Colorado Works: 1) to assist participants in ending their dependence on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work and marriage; 2) to develop strategies that ensure participants are engaged in work activities; and 3) to provide counties with increased responsibility for the design and administration of the Colorado Works program. The creation of the Colorado Works program and the State's devolution of authority to the counties has produced some good results and unique problems.

By devolving authority to the counties, the State of Colorado essentially created 63 different Colorado Works programs, making it difficult to ensure that people in every county receive the assistance and information they need as they move toward self-sufficiency.

The Colorado Center on Law and Policy has been a leader in securing access to justice for welfare applicants and participants since welfare reform was first proposed in Colorado in 1996. CCLP helped to shape the Colorado Works program at the legislature and in regulatory proceedings and helped consumers and advocates participate in those proceedings. CCLP now works in conjunction with advocates, private industry and governmental agencies across the state to monitor the implementation of Colorado Works and to address problems encountered throughout the state.