Search:
		ACF Home   |   Services   |   Working with ACF   |   Policy/Planning   |   About ACF   |   ACF News   |   HHS Home

	Questions?  |  Privacy  |  Site Index  |  Contact Us  |  Download Reader™  |  Print

(1) State’s Definition of Each Work Activity

The following are the definitions for work activities that TANF recipients may participate in to meet the TANF work requirements.

Unsubsidized employment:
Paid work in which none of the wages are paid with TANF, WtW, or WIA funds.

Subsidized private-sector employment:
Paid work in non-governmental jobs in which part or all of the wages are paid with TANF, welfare-to-work, or WIA funds.

Subsidized public-sector employment:
Paid work in governmental jobs in which part or all of the wages are paid with TANF, welfare-to-work, or WIA funds.

Work experience if sufficient private-sector employment is not available:
Unpaid work done as a condition of receiving TANF benefits. The placements can be with private, non-profit, or public sector employers and are time-limited.

On-the-job training (OJT):
Placement with an employer in which the customer is receiving training to enable her/him to perform a particular job or set of jobs with that employer. The placement may be paid.

Job search and job readiness assistance:
Programs which assist customers learn job-seeking skills and prepare for work by learning workplace norms and behaviors.

Community service programs:
In FY 2005, the District did not place anyone in a program labeled ‘community service.’

Vocational educational training:
Programs which assist TANF recipients learn skills needed to succeed in the workplace. Examples include programs which link basic skills training with training for particular jobs.

Education related directly to employment, in the case of an individual who has not received a high school diploma or a certificate of high school equivalency:
Programs which assist TANF recipients improve basic skills or achieve a GED.


(2) Description of the transitional services provided to families no longer receiving assistance due to employment

The Department of Human Services, Office of Early Childhood Development operates the child care subsidy program for the District of Columbia (this excludes children participating in Head Start or in pre-kindergarten programs operated through the District of Columbia Public Schools). TANF, Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) and MOE funds are used to fund child care subsidies to low-income working families, including former TANF recipients. (More detailed information about MOE funded efforts is available in the Annual Report on State Maintenance-of Effort Programs (ACF-204)). Families who have transitioned from TANF to work continue to receive child care subsidies as long as they remain residents of the District of Columbia and meet the eligibility criteria for services. Families receive assistance locating child care that meets their needs, as well as information on what to look for when seeking child care services.

In addition to child care, the District provides free health insurance to low-income working families through a substantial Medicaid expansion. (This is not funded with TANF or MOE resources.) In the District of Columbia, families with children with incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible for Medicaid. Both children and parents/caretakers in such families are eligible for Medicaid coverage. In September 2005, approximately 71,000 children under the age of 21 received medical assistance.

Finally, the District has also enacted a local Earned Income Credit which equals 10 percent of the federal credit. This credit will also help support low-income working families, including former TANF recipients. The local EIC is not funded with TANF or MOE resources.

(3) Description of how a State will reduce the amount of assistance payable to a family when an individual refuses to engage in work without good cause.

When an adult fails to comply without good cause with work requirements, that individual is denied TANF benefits and is removed from the assistance unit. The other members of the assistance unit do not lose their eligibility for benefits.

(4) The average monthly number of payments for child care services made by the state through the use of disregards.

While the District continues to provide a child care disregard to families that incur out-of-pocket child care costs, very few families receive such a disregard because virtually all child care subsidies are provided directly through voucher payments administered through the Office of Early Childhood Development. Approximately 215 families receiving TANF cash assistance received the child care disregard each month in FY 2005.

Because the vast majority of our child care subsidies are provided through a direct payment structure, not through the use of the child care disregard, the District does not track the type of child care arrangements those families who do receive the disregard utilize.

(5) If the state has adopted the Family Violence Option and wants Federal recognition of its good cause domestic violence waivers under subpart B of part 260, a description of the strategies and procedures in place to ensure that victims of domestic violence receive appropriate alternative services and an aggregate figure for the total number of good cause domestic violence waivers granted.

Individuals with a history of domestic violence may be exempted from work participation requirements and child support requirements. Such individuals may choose to participate in work activities or pursue child support.

Screening and Assessment

DHS caseworkers use the Preliminary Assessment Form to screen all TANF applicants for various barriers to employment and work participation, including domestic violence (additional assessment may be conducted during subsequent interactions with customers). If a domestic violence situation is identified, a written referral for additional screening/assessment services is provided to the customer. The District has contracted with a local community based organization, Employment for Former Offenders Receiving Treatment Services (EFFORTS), to provide these screening and assessment services as well as to coordinate services to individuals with domestic violence-related problems. If an entity that operates a TANF work program or an entity conducting home visits with TANF customers discovers that a recipient has a domestic violence issue and may need services, that entity can contact DHS and a referral to the domestic violence service providers will be made.

If further screening or assessment confirms an initial finding of domestic violence, the domestic violence service provider and the recipient develop a service plan. When developing the plan, the possibility of requesting a waiver of work requirements and/or child support cooperation requirements and the duration of such waivers is discussed. Good cause waivers of work requirements are granted when work participation requirements would make it more difficult for the applicant/recipient to escape family violence.

Decisions on Domestic Violence Waivers

Decisions on granting or denying a domestic violence waiver of work requirements are made within 15 business days of such a waiver request. Since it may be necessary to waive work requirements to ensure the safety of the applicant/recipient, s/he will not be required to participate in work programs pending a decision on whether to grant a waiver.

When determining whether domestic violence occurred, the following evidence shall be used:

(A) police, government agency, or court records;

(B) documentation from a shelter, legal, clerical, medical, or other professional worker from whom the applicant/recipient has sought assistance;

(C) statements from other individuals with knowledge of the circumstances;

(D) physical evidence of domestic violence or any other evidence supporting the allegations; and

(E) in the absence of evidence as listed above, allegations that the victim makes under oath, including the applicant’s petition for a Civil Protection Order, shall be sufficient to substantiate a claim.

The domestic violence service provider provides services to TANF recipients with domestic violence-related problems, including, but not limited to, those who request and are granted a domestic violence waiver. The provider submits reports to the Department of Human Services on each recipient for whom they are providing services. These reports are submitted 30, 60 and 90 days after the recipient begins to work with the provider. If the provider and the recipient jointly agree to request an extension of the waiver, the extension is requested as part of the 90 day report with a justification of why such an extension is warranted.

If a TANF recipient requests but is not granted a waiver or waiver extension, the recipient can appeal that ruling through the fair hearing process.

If an applicant/recipient decides not to seek or declines services or a waiver of work requirements due to domestic violence, s/he is not barred from seeking such services and waivers at a later date. An applicant/recipient may terminate an existing waiver at any time without penalty. No waiver is ever implemented against the will of the applicant/recipient.

Once granted a waiver, an applicant/recipient who voluntarily chooses to participate in approved TANF activities is allowed to do so.

Time Limits

A history of domestic violence as well as current domestic violence involvement will be considered when determining exemptions to the 60-month time limit.

(6) A Description of any non-recurrent, short-term benefits

The District has a Diversion Payment Program which can provide vendor payments to meet an immediate need for a family applying for TANF benefits. No applications for the Diversion Payment Program were approved in FY 2005. The following is a description of the rules related to the program.

A head of household who is applying for TANF may be provided with cash assistance under the Diversion Payment Program (DPP) instead of receiving a TANF grant. DPP is used to resolve an immediate short-term financial need which, if resolved, will allow the applicant to continue in current employment or accept new employment. During TANF applicant intake, the SSR should assess whether an applicant is an appropriate candidate for DPP. Applying for DPP does not affect the processing of Food Stamp and Medicaid applications.

If the applicant indicates during the initial interview or subsequent discussions but prior to TANF approval that employment could be retained or obtained if a work-related crisis can be quickly resolved, then the SSR should inform the applicant of the program and encourage the use of DPP rather than TANF. Receipt of DPP does not count toward the TANF 60-month time limit.

DPP is available to cover expenses that, if paid, will assure retention of employment or the ability to accept bona fide employment in lieu of monthly TANF assistance. These expenses include but are not limited to:

• auto insurance,
• motor vehicle repair,
• rent and utilities (but not utilities alone),
• work clothes, and
• professional licenses and fees.

In order to be considered for DPP, the applicant must meet the following criteria:

• have a job or bona fide offer of employment which s/he is willing to accept.
• meet the assets test for TANF cash assistance; however, one of the applicant’s vehicles may be excluded when determining eligibility.
• meet the income test for TANF cash assistance, if DPP is requested to accept new employment

If at the time of the application, the applicant is unemployed and subsequently obtains employment while the application is pending, no earnings from the job are considered in determining whether the household passes the TANF financial tests for DPP. The financial circumstances of the applicant on the date of application are the basis of this determination.

• live with a minor child of a specified acceptable degree of relationship.
• have no receipt of TANF or POWER benefits in the last six months and no receipt of a DPP payment in the prior 12 months.
• have an immediate financial barrier which if eliminated will enable the individual to obtain or retain employment, AND
• agree to accept the one-time DPP payment rather than TANF assistance.

As a general rule, DPP payments will be made directly to vendors.

A DPP payment may not exceed the amount needed to remove the barrier to employment and can never exceed three times the full grant for the applicant household size.

(7) Description of the procedures the State has established and is maintaining to resolve displacement complaints

The D.C. Department of Employment Services is the lead agency for administering the grievance procedures with respect to TANF and Workforce Investment Act-related displacement complaints. The Department of Employment Services has established grievance and complaint procedures that require that complaints be filed within 180 days of the discovery of the occurrence. Hearing requests are handled by the D.C. Department of Employment Services, Office of Unemployment Compensation, Appeals Division.

(8) Summary of State programs and activities directed at the 3rd and 4th statutory purposes of TANF

(a) Teen Pregnancy Prevention – In FY 2005, grants funded by TANF were again awarded to five entities to develop and implement teen pregnancy prevention programs. Research indicates that interventions to prevent teen pregnancy should begin prior to the teen years. Therefore, these grants target children ages 11-14 in high-poverty areas of the District of Columbia. These community based programs provide an array of programs and services to both children and their parents. These programs include: nutrition education, tutoring, cultural enrichment activities for children, academic support, parenting skills training, life skills training for children, and activities to promote children’s self-esteem. These programs served more than 1,800 teens in FY05. Additionally, TANF funds were used to support interventions for teen parents to help them complete or pursue educational endeavors and reduce the incidence of repeat pregnancies.

(b) Community “Mini-Grants” – The District of Columbia used TANF funds to provide small grants of $20,000 or less to community based organizations to provide services to needy families with children. The grantees were organizations with overall budgets of less than $150,000. Many of the programs funded with these “mini-grants” provided services to low-income children and their families and were designed, in part, to reduce teen pregnancy.

(c) Children's Services - In FY 2005, the District of Columbia provided TANF funds to the Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation, a non-profit organization established to identify unmet needs among the District's children, youth and their parents and to provide grants to community entities to meet those needs. The following are descriptions of the programs funded under the grant that either provide out-of-school-time activities for children, youth development programs or parent support programs. Many of these programs - operated through community based organizations - are designed, in part, to reduce negative child outcomes including teen pregnancy or to support low-income parents as they train for, find and sustain employment. Programs instituted a means test to target children under 300 percent of the federal poverty level.

(d) Family Emergency Services – In FY05, the District of Columbia used TANF funds to provide services to families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Funds were used for program enhancements including the provision of shelter and case management services for families in D.C. shelters.

(e) Wraparound Family Services – In FY05, the District used TANF funds to provide services to address short term crises as well as long-term family issues that lead to long-term welfare dependency and inhibit self-sufficiency. The services address the needs of the hardest to serve, target the well-being of the family unit, and serve to supplement financial and employment assistance.

(f) Fatherhood Initiative – In FY05, the District used TANF funds as one of a complement of funding sources to provide a continuum of supportive services to fathers of children in low-income families. Specifically, TANF funds support life skills education, group peer instruction, mediation services, counseling, and instruction on effective parenting.

(g) Family Preservation Services – In FY05, the District used TANF funds to provide family preservation-related services to low income families with children. These services include short-term out-of-home placements with a child is removed due to a family crisis. Such services are supported for a maximum of 180 days and are provided in conjunction with and assessment or services geared toward family reunification.

(9) Estimate of the total number of individuals who have participated in subsidized employment

We estimate that approximately 135 TANF recipients per month participated in subsidized employment during FY 2005.

Annual Report on State Maintenance-of-Effort Programs
(ACF-204)

STATE: The District of Columbia      FISCAL YEAR: 2005

DATA SUBMITTED: December 2005

1. Name of Benefit or Service Program:

The Program on Work, Employment, and Responsibility (POWER)

2. Description of the Major Program Benefits, Services and Activities:

POWER is a separate state program funded with District MOE funds. It provides cash assistance to families in which the head of household is unlikely to meet TANF work requirements due to a short-term incapacity related to physical or mental health problems, substance abuse problems or learning disabilities.

Caseworkers, employment vendors, and home visit grantees who work with TANF customers can refer TANF recipients to the POWER program. In addition, customers are provided with informational material about the POWER program and can request consideration. When a customer is “referred to POWER,” they are provided with medical forms which will be reviewed by the MRT to determine whether an incapacity exists.

In order for a “case” to qualify for POWER, the head of a single-parent assistance unit must be designated as incapacitated. In the case of a two-parent assistance unit, both parents must be incapacitated in order for the unit to qualify for POWER. If only one parent of a two-parent assistance unit is incapacitated, the assistance unit will be treated as a TANF single-parent assistance unit and the non-incapacitated parent will be subject to TANF work requirements.

Recipients of POWER are not subject to the TANF 60-month lifetime limit. Individuals are expected to return to the TANF program following successful completion of POWER activities.

Initial Evaluation of Incapacity

Individuals referred to POWER must have a medical evaluation form completed by a medical professional such as a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or licensed registered nurse (RN). The medical evaluation form is then submitted to the MRT which determines whether the individual meets the “incapacitated” standard. If the MRT determines the individual incapacitated due to a substance abuse problem, the individual is referred to the Addiction, Prevention, and Recovery Administration (APRA) – the city agency that provides substance abuse treatment. If the individual is determined incapacitated due to a physical condition, mental health problem or learning disability, the individual is referred to the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) – the city agency responsible for vocational rehabilitation for persons with incapacities or disabilities. APRA or RSA designs a service and treatment plan with which the POWER recipient must comply.

MOE resources are used to provide cash assistance to POWER participants as well as fund the non-medical APRA and RSA.

The MRT decisions of incapacity are reviewed every six months. There is no limit, however, on the total number of months a case can be covered under the POWER program.

If the MRT does not determine a customer incapacitated and, thus, the customer receives TANF instead of POWER, the customer can appeal the ruling through the fair hearing process.

Conversion from POWER to TANF

There are a number of circumstances which will prompt a conversion from a POWER grant to a TANF grant. They include:

o a determination by the MRT that the individual is no longer incapacitated;

o a failure to return the medical examination and/or social information forms for reevaluation;

o a failure to comply with POWER treatment and training plans without good cause;

o the recipient becoming employed.

Failure to Comply

Failure to comply with POWER requirements, including design and adherence to treatment and training plans, disqualifies the recipient from the program. The sanction is not applied, however, under POWER. The benefit must be converted to TANF and the needs of the head of the household will be removed until compliance with POWER requirements or until active in a TANF work activity. Adequate and timely notice of the decision to end POWER eligibility and impose the sanction must be given to the recipient. The decision may be appealed by following the fair hearing process. If the decision is appealed prior to the effective date of the conversion to TANF, eligibility under POWER must be continued until the appeal is resolved.

Good Cause

Good cause for failure to comply with POWER program requirements includes one or more of the following:

o a properly verified illness or medical condition of the applicant/recipient or a member of his/her household that prevents the applicant/recipient from meeting requirements;

o participation in self-sufficiency activities for a minimum average of 20 hours per week and the recipient has a child under six for whom s/he personally provides child care;

o an extraordinary and unforeseen circumstance beyond the control of the recipient verified to the satisfaction of the Department;

o applicant/recipient caring for a child who has special health needs (verified by competent medical evidence) that prevents the parent's participation in activities, or

o appropriate and affordable child care for a child under age six is not available within a reasonable distance from the applicant/recipient's home or work site.

3. Purpose of the Benefit or Service Program

POWER is designed to provide appropriate services to families otherwise eligible for TANF for whom TANF-related work requirements are inappropriate because the adult in the family has a physical or mental incapacity. This incapacity could stem from substance abuse.

4. Program Type

____ This Program is operated under the TANF program.

__X_ This Program is a separate state program.

5. Description of Work Activities in the SSP-MOE program

POWER participants are required to participate in activities as described in the service plan which is developed by either APRA or RSA, depending on the nature of the incapacity.

6. Total State Expenditures for the Program for the Fiscal Year

Expenditures on Cash Assistance for POWER Participants: $1,613,177
Expenditures through the Rehabilitation Services Administration: $671,145

TOTAL: $2,288,268

7. Total State Expenditures Claimed as MOE under the Program for the Fiscal Year
$2,288,268

8. Total Number of Families Served under the Program with MOE funds

Avg. Monthly Figure = 381

9. Eligibility Criteria for Receiving MOE-funded Benefits or Services under the Program

To be eligible for POWER, a family must meet the financial and non-financial TANF cash assistance eligibility criteria and the head of the household must be incapacitated. The incapacity may stem from a physical or mental health problem, substance abuse problem or learning disability.

10. Was this program authorized and allowable under prior law?

No. However, families meeting the criteria now used for the POWER program were provided assistance under the state’s AFDC program. Thus, one could consider this a “new” program that was not authorized in 1995 or a continuation of benefits provided under the former AFDC statute. Under either interpretation, 100 percent of the funds used in the POWER program are countable toward the District’s MOE requirement.

11. Total Program Expenditures in FY 1995: $0

This certifies that all families for which the State claims MOE expenditures for the fiscal year meet the State’s criteria for “eligible families.”

Signature: __________________________________

Name: Yvonne Gilchrist, Director______________

Annual Report on State Maintenance-of-Effort Programs
(ACF-204)

STATE: The District of Columbia      FISCAL YEAR: 2005

DATA SUBMITTED: December 2005

1. Name of Benefit or Service Program:

Child Care Assistance/Quality Enhancements

2. Description of the Major Program Benefits, Services and Activities:

Maintenance-of-effort funds are used to provide child care subsidies to low-income District children whose parents are working or participating in employment-related programs. These funds are used to provide subsidies to low-income working families and support quality enhancement initiatives.

3. Purpose of the Benefit or Service Program

To assist low-income families afford child care and improve the quality of the care children receive.

4. Program Type

__X__ This Program is operated under the TANF program.

_____ This Program is a separate state program.

5. Description of Work Activities in the SSP-MOE program

N/A

6. Total State Expenditures for the Program for the Fiscal Year

$19,080,565

7. Total State Expenditures Claimed as MOE under the Program for the Fiscal Year

$19,080,565

8. Total Number of Families Served under the Program with MOE funds

Child care statistics are maintained by child not by family in the District of Columbia. In FY 2005, a total of 21,677 children participated in subsidized child care programs (these programs include infant/toddler care, preschool, after-school programs for school age children, and summer programs). Some 4,334 children were served with MOE funds.

9. Eligibility Criteria for Receiving MOE-funded Benefits or Services under the Program

To qualify for child care assistance, a family of three must have “gross income” of less than $40,225. A sliding fee scale is used to determine a family’s contribution toward the cost of care. (See attached sliding fee scale.) When determining initial eligibility, a family is eligible up to 250% FPL and families remain eligible until they reach 300% FPL.

10. Was this program authorized and allowable under prior law?

Yes.

11. N/A

This certifies that all families for which the State claims MOE expenditures for the fiscal year meet the State’s criteria for “eligible families.”


Signature: __________________________________


Name: Yvonne Gilchrist, Director

Annual Report on State Maintenance-of-Effort Programs
ACF-204

STATE: The District of Columbia       FISCAL YEAR: 2005

DATA SUBMITTED: December 2005

1. Name of Benefit or Service Program:

Cash assistance for families with children

2. Description of the Major Program Benefits, Services and Activities:

MOE funds are used to fund basic cash assistance to families in the state’s TANF program. These funds are “commingled” with federal TANF assistance.

3. Purpose of the Benefit or Service Program

To assist poor families with children to meet their basic needs.

4. Program Type

__X_ This Program is operated under the TANF program.

____ This Program is a separate state program.

5. Description of Work Activities in the SSP-MOE program

N/A

6. Total State Expenditures for the Program for the Fiscal Year

$48,610,000

7. Total State Expenditures Claimed as MOE under the Program for the Fiscal Year

$48,610,000

8. Total Number of Families Served under the Program with MOE funds

TANF and MOE funds are co-mingled to provide basic cash assistance to poor families. In FY 2005, the average monthly number of cases receiving TANF cash assistance was 17,254.

9. Eligibility Criteria for Receiving MOE-funded Benefits or Services under the Program

To be eligible for TANF, a family must meet an income and asset test as well as various non-financial eligibility criteria including:

• the family must include a minor child
• all individuals included in the case must either be U.S. citizens or meet the immigrant-eligibility established under federal law
• in the case of a two-parent family, one parent must meet the “unemployed parent” rules which mirror those in existence under the former AFDC program.

In FY 2002, the asset test mirrored that in the Food Stamp Program. Effective May 2001, the work expense deduction of $100 and earned income disregards of 50% of earnings were increased for TANF households. An applicant family’s gross income less a $160 work expense deduction and child care disregard had to be less than the payment standard to qualify for TANF cash assistance. A recipient family’s net income less a combined earned income disregard equal to $160 + two thirds (2/3) of all earnings and a child care disregard, if applicable, had to be less than the payment standard. The payment standard for the TANF program is:

10. Was this program authorized and allowable under prior law?

Yes

11. N/A

This certifies that all families for which the State claims MOE expenditures for the fiscal year meet the State’s criteria for “eligible families.”


Signature: __________________________________


Name: Yvonne Gilchrist, Director

Annual Report on State Maintenance-of-Effort Programs
ACF-204

STATE: The District of Columbia       FISCAL YEAR: 2005

DATA SUBMITTED: December 2005

1. Name of Benefit or Service Program:

Administrative/Systems costs related to the TANF cash assistance program

2. Description of the Major Program Benefits, Services and Activities:

MOE funds are used to finance some administrative and systems costs associated with the TANF cash assistance program.

3. Purpose of the Benefit or Service Program

To fund the administrative structure and systems necessary to operate the TANF cash assistance program.

4. Program Type

__X__ This Program is operated under the TANF program.

_____ This Program is a separate state program.

5. Description of Work Activities in the SSP-MOE program

N/A

6. Total State Expenditures for the Program for the Fiscal Year

Administrative Costs: $4,873,981
Systems Costs: $492,824

TOTAL: $5,366,805

7. Total State Expenditures Claimed as MOE under the Program for the Fiscal Year

$5,366,805

8. Total Number of Families Served under the Program with MOE funds

In FY 2005, the average monthly number of cases receiving TANF cash assistance was 17,254.

9. Eligibility Criteria for Receiving MOE-funded Benefits or Services under the Program

See the Annual Report on State MOE Programs for “Basic Cash Assistance” for information on TANF cash assistance eligibility requirements.

10. Was this program authorized and allowable under prior law?

Yes.

11. NA

This certifies that all families for which the State claims MOE expenditures for the fiscal year meet the State’s criteria for “eligible families.”


Signature: __________________________________

Name: Yvonne Gilchrist, Director

Return to Index

ACF Home | Questions? | Site Index | Contact Us | Accessibility | Privacy Policy | Freedom of Information Act | Disclaimers
Department of Health and Human Services | USA.gov: The U.S. government's official web portal

Administration for Children and Families • 370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W. • Washington, D.C. 20447

This is a Historical Document.