This paper used data from two rounds of the National Survey of America's Families to examine how families on welfare in 1999 differed from those receiving benefits in 1997 (just prior to when most states implemented their new Temporary Assistance for Needy Families [TANF] policies). Results showed some significant changes in the welfare population between 1997 and 1999: more TANF recipients lived with an unmarried partner, African Americans made up a larger share of the TANF recipients, and significantly more adult recipients were working. Most adults on TANF reported significant barriers to employment, though adults on TANF did not report significantly more barriers to work in 1999 than in 1997. The significant increases in paid work in 1999 were accompanied by some significant decreases in school and training activities. There was significantly more hardship among those who had been on TANF continuously for more than 2 years relative to those who had recently entered TANF for the first time. However, welfare cyclers looked more similar to continuous recipients than new entrants. Patterns of welfare entry and reentry were the same in 1999 as they were 1997. (Contains 18 references.) (SM)