The number of Mississippi families approved for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families dropped precipitously in the middle of 2010 and remained extremely low until 2017, around the time the state began catching heat for its low approval rate. The state stopped reporting this data in its annual reports that year. Because of the high rate of denials — which are sometimes attributed to the family earning too much money to qualify or not meeting work requirements — Mississippi's TANF caseload is increasingly made up of "child only" cases, which refers to welfare payments made to households without an eligible parent, such as to children who live with their relatives. These cases are not subject to the time limit and work requirement restrictions of cases including an able-bodied adult.