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Analysis of New Interim Final TANF Rules |
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From Center for Law and Social Policy: On June 29, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued regulations regarding the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. In this process, it is critical that states maintain focus on the overall goal of helping low-income families improve their employment outcomes and support their families, not just on achieving the required participation rates. Job search and job readiness assistance activities must be supervised by the TANF agency or other responsible party on an ongoing basis no less frequently than daily. In the preamble, HHS explains that a "week" means a seven-day period, and that any amount of counted participation in job search and job readiness assistance within such a period uses up a week that may be counted. vocational educational training or by being a teen head of household deemed as participating based on satisfactory school attendance or progression toward a General Educational Development (GED) degree. Similarly, bridge programs --- programs that prepare adults who lack basic skills and/or English language proficiency to enter and succeed in occupationally oriented postsecondary education ---qualify under the new regulatory definition of vocational education. In some cases, it may be appropriate to provide intensive basic skills or ESL training to recipients to help them meet the requirements of daily life or to meet the minimum qualifications for entry into an occupational training course. States should consider allowing such recipients to participate in activities even if the participation is not countable toward the federal requirements. The general rule under the "work-eligible individual" concept is that when a parent who is not receiving assistance resides with a child who is receiving assistance, the parent is included in the work rate calculation unless specified exceptions are met.
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