In an effort to meet the needs of women on Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) who are victims of domestic violence, many States, including Texas, have instituted a waiver excusing the women for a time from many TANF program requirements. This study explores the potential mismatch between the intent of the welfare system for the waiver, services offered through the Family Violence Option (FVO) in the Texas TANF, and the needs of TANF recipients for whom domestic violence is an issue. One third of the 67 TANF recipients interviewed for this study requested a waiver of TANF participation requirements, but all of them reported other barriers to employment in addition to the violence in their homes; the other barriers often took precedence over the violence. The women needed help with child care, adequate housing, transportation, and living-wage jobs to support themselves and their children. The article concludes that, until adequate support services and opportunities for living-wage employment are available in conjunction with the Texas FVO, many victims of domestic violence will not view temporary waivers from participation requirements and domestic violence services as relevant to or helpful in their situations. The welfare system will continue to question women's reluctance to leave abusive relationships and their ability to move successfully from welfare to work. Table, references