Nebraska TANF/MOE Report

Office of Family Assistance

Annual Report on State TANF and MOE Programs - 2004
Nebraska

Andrew Bush, Director
Administration for Children and Families
Office of Family Assistance
Aerospace Building, 5th Floor
370 L’Enfant Promenade, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20447

Nebraska respectfully submits the ACF-204 (Annual Report on TANF and State MOE programs) for Fiscal Year 2004 to meet the reporting requirements under 45 CFR 265.9(b). This report provides a detailed explanation of Nebraska’s TANF and State MOE funded programs for low-income families.

Willard Bouwens, Administrator
Financial Services Division
Department of Health and Human Services - Finance and Support

Provide the following information on the TANF Program (for the previous Fiscal Year):

(1) The State's definition of each work activity.

In Nebraska, each mandatory recipient of TANF cash assistance must participate in activities that enable the family to achieve their highest level of economic independence as possible. For many, the goal is preparation for rapid entry into the labor market. Both the case manager and the client determine the path towards reaching these goals through various components that make up the menu of activities from which the participant and case manager choose. This process is formalized with the signing of a Self-Sufficiency Contract. The participant’s activities should build on developed strengths while also helping to remove barriers towards reaching the participant’s vocational goal and eventual economic independence. Beyond the required activities, any client may voluntarily participate in one or more components while in the program.

The following list of component activities are Nebraska's approved work activities:

Job Search – This component assists participants in finding their own jobs. The emphasis is placed on teaching the individual to take responsibility for his/her own job development and placement. If an intensive job search does not result in employment within three months, the assessments and the Self-Sufficiency Contract must be re-evaluated. The Job Search component offers two formats: group job search and independent job search that may be performed simultaneously. Job search beyond six weeks is not counted in federal work participation rates.

Education – These activities include obtaining a High School education (HSD), General Education Development (GED), Adult Basic Education (ABE) which is basic and remedial education designed to help an individual achieve a basic literacy level (i.e., the equivalent of an eighth grade education), and English as a Second Language (ESL).

Post-Secondary Education – Post-secondary education is limited to that which is directly related to the fulfillment of an individual’s vocational goal, and must be completed within the twenty-four month time limit of eligibility. Only those occupations that can be demonstrated to be marketable and be anticipated to pay a wage that will lead the family to economic independence are approved and included in the Self-Sufficiency Contract. Postgraduate programs may not be approved in the Self-Sufficiency Contract. Post-secondary education is not counted in federal work participation rates.

Job Skills Training – This component is defined as vocationally specific training in technical job skills. Job Skills Training is limited to that which is directly related to the fulfillment of an individual’s vocational goal, limited to the attainment of a certificate, diploma, or an Associate’s degree, and must be completed within the twenty-four month time limit of eligibility.

Job Readiness – These activities prepare clients for all aspects of being employed. Participants learn how to remove personal and family barriers to work and economic independence; develop workplace maturity skills such as motivation, reliability, punctuality, dependability, responsibility, job retention and pride in work; acquire career awareness knowledge including interests, values, aptitudes, career decision-making, career development and career maturity; develop goal-setting skills; develop decision-making and problem solving skills; improve self-awareness including self-expectations, self-confidence and self-esteem; budget fiscal resources; participate in family planning; and build family support and cohesion through parent and child education.

Apprenticeship – A client is considered actively engaged in an approved work activity if that client becomes a registered apprentice with a trade organization. A participant may apply for, and enter into, a formal apprenticeship with any trade organization. A client participating in an apprenticeship must complete the program and be fully employed in the trade by the end of the twenty-four months of eligibility.

Micro-business Enterprise – A client is considered actively engaged in an approved work activity by establishing a micro-business enterprise. For the Self-Sufficiency Contract to contain this component activity an assessment of the likelihood of business success must be obtained and benchmarks established to assess measurable progress. The individual will be referred to work with organizations that offer entrepreneurial assistance with business information, business development and training, development of a business prospectus, follow-up technical assistance, and access to small loans.

Work Experience – Work experience is unpaid workplace training in any public, private, for-profit, or non-profit business or organization. The purpose of this work activity is to improve the employability of clients by providing work experience and training to assist him/her to move promptly into unsubsidized public or private employment. The Department will retain all provisions protecting currently employed workers as per Goldberg vs. Kelly, and provide for the fair hearing process protection. Currently, employed workers or their representative may register complaints with the agency that assigned the individual to the work site. The Department must have a written agreement with the work site. Worker’s Compensation coverage is provided to the participant. A placement must not exceed three months.

On-the-Job Training – A client is considered actively engaged in an approved work activity if he/she is employed as a trainee with an employer who will hire the client as a regular employee if the client satisfactorily completes the training period. The participant is provided training, which gives the knowledge or skills essential to the full and adequate performance of that job. The employer must compensate at a rate (including benefits, as applicable) comparable to that of other employees performing the same or similar jobs. The Department must have a written contract in which the employer will be reimbursed for a portion of the salary for a set period of time, not to exceed six months, to help offset the expense of training.

Employment – A client is considered actively engaged in an approved work activity if that client is employed full- or part-time and receiving a wage that is adequate to help the family achieve economic independence. If the employment is part-time, the client must be participating in another component activity(ies) designed to help him/her achieve economic independence.

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

For families that leave cash assistance because of employment, Nebraska provides four types of additional assistance to help insure that the work participants remain employed. They are the following:

Transitional Medical Assistance (TMA) – Aid to Dependent Children (ADC) cash assistance recipients are eligible for up to 12 months of TMA if the unit lost eligibility for ADC cash assistance because of increased earnings or increased hours of employment of the parent or needy caretaker relative, or needy guardian or conservator; and the ADC unit received or was eligible to receive a grant for which they were eligible in three of the last six months preceding ineligibility (at least the last ADC cash payment must have been from Nebraska); and the parent or needy caretaker relative, or needy guardian or conservator is employed. The first six months of TMA are without regard to income. Starting with month seven, the household is subject to payment of a monthly premium if their countable income is between 100 and 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.

Transitional Grant – An ADC case may receive one transitional grant equal to one-half of the previous month’s ADC cash payment if the unit lost eligibility for ADC cash assistance because of increased earnings or increased hours of employment of the parent, or needy caretaker relative, or needy guardian or conservator; and the ADC unit received a grant for which they were eligible in three of the last six months preceding ineligibility (at least the last ADC cash payment must have been from Nebraska); and the parent or needy caretaker relative or needy guardian or conservator is employed. There is no limit to the number of times a case may receive a transitional grant as long as the unit meets the requirements listed above.

Child Care Subsidy – Child care assistance is available for families who are transitioning from ADC to work and have income below 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Level and meet resource limits of $6000. Child care is available at no cost to families whose gross earned and unearned incomes are below 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Level; and families are eligible for a partial child care subsidy if their gross earned and unearned income is at or below 120 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. Eligible families cannot be required to pay more than 20 percent of their gross income towards the cost of child care. Child care assistance is provided for children who are ages twelve or younger; or age eighteen or younger if physically or mentally in need of care (as determined by a physician or a licensed or certified psychologist); under court supervision; or receiving SSI or foster care. Child care assistance is provided if needed to accept or retain employment or to participate in activities to gain employment.

Transitional child care is provided for up to 24 consecutive months if:
1. The family loses eligibility for ADC cash assistance as a result of increased earnings or increased hours of employment;
2. The family received an ADC cash payment for which they were eligible in three of the last six months preceding ineligibility;
3. The family provides the financial information necessary to determine eligibility and the amount of the fee;
4. The child care is necessary to allow the parent to accept or retain employment; and
5. The family’s gross earned and unearned income is equal to or less that 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Level

Transitional Supportive Services – These services may be provided for up to three months for all Employment First (EF) components included in the Self-Sufficiency Contract after the loss of eligibility for ADC cash assistance if the loss of eligibility resulted from an increase in earnings, and if the individual was participating in Employment First at the time. Supportive services that are necessary for job retention may be provided for up to six months after the loss of eligibility for ADC cash assistance if the loss of eligibility resulted from an increase in earnings, and if the individual was cooperating with or participating in Employment First at the time. The supportive services must be determined as necessary and critical for the individual to be able to maintain and retain their employment.

Allowable supportive services include but are not limited to: transportation related services such as limited assistance with a vehicle purchase, vehicle repair, gas vouchers, bus passes or tickets, vehicle registration costs, the initial three months of auto insurance; relocation assistance in order to accept or retain employment or to participate in education or training activities if it is not feasible to commute to the job or training on a daily basis; work-related expenses such as uniforms, safety shoes, business attire, special clothing and footwear, tools, supplies and minor equipment.

(3) A 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 pursuant to §261.14.

Nebraska’s procedures for non-cooperation with the Employment First (EF) program is as follows:

The client who has failed or refused to participate in the EF program will be sent a notice of their failure to cooperate with TANF work requirements. The notice initiates a process designed as a conciliation period to give the client and the case manager the opportunity to resolve the non-participation issue. The client may also request that the conciliation process be initiated.

The conciliation process may last a maximum of ten days. Before imposing the first or second sanction, the case manager shall present the recommendation to his/her supervisor for review of the required activities to insure that the following steps were taken:
• that the requirements are reasonable and appropriate and that the client is both physically and mentally able to carry them out;
• that the case manager worked with the family to assist them in removing any barriers to performance;
• that the case manager determined that a good cause was not established;
• that the case manager provided the family with an opportunity to resolve the proposed sanction through a mediation process, and if the family is dissatisfied with the results of the mediation, to additionally receive an official decision following an administrative hearing.
The recommendation for imposing the third sanction must be approved by the case manager’s supervisor and a second level supervisor, as well.

Failure of the parent to participate in the EF program will result in the loss of all ADC cash assistance for the entire family as well as the medical coverage for the adults in the unit. Failure to participate in the EF program by the needy caretaker relative, guardian, or conservator who is not a parent results in the loss of ADC cash assistance and medical coverage for that individual only.

In the case where the caretaker relative is a parent, the sanctions will be as follows:
• the first sanction will last one month or until the failure to cooperate ceases, whichever is longer;
• the second sanction will last for three months or until the failure to cooperate ceases, whichever is longer;
• the third and subsequent sanctions will last for a minimum of 12 months or until the failure to cooperate ceases, or the remainder of the 48-month period, whichever is shorter.

There is no minimum penalty period for a sanction imposed upon a needy caretaker relative, guardian, or conservator who is not a parent.

In order to have the sanction against ADC cash assistance and medical coverage removed, the individual must demonstrate their willingness to cooperate by participating in the program for one calendar week after they have served the minimum penalty period for that sanction.

If the sanctioned individual becomes eligible for an exemption from participation in the EF program at any time during the sanction period, the sanction will be lifted, the exemption granted, and the payment will be effective the first day of the month during which the parent becomes eligible for the exemption.

(4) The average monthly number of payments for child care services made by the State through the use of disregards, by the following types of child care providers.

Child care assistance payments are made available through the Child Care Subsidy program.

(i) Licensed/regulated in home child care;
(ii) Licensed/regulated family child care;
(iii) Licensed/regulated group home child care;
(iv) Licensed/regulated center based child care;
(v) Legally operating (i.e., no license category available in State or locality)
in home child care provided by a non-relative;
(vi) Legally operating (i.e., no license category available in State or locality)
in home child care provided by a relative;
(vii) Legally operating (i.e., no license category available in State or locality)
family child care provided by a non-relative;
(viii) Legally operating (i.e., no license category available in State or locality)
family child care provided by a relative;
(ix) Legally operating (i.e., no license category available in State or locality)
group child care provided by a non-relative;
(x) Legally operating (i.e., no license category available in State or locality)
group child care provided by a relative; and
(xi) Legally operated (i.e., no license category available in State or locality)
center based child care.

(5) 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 waivers granted.

Nebraska’s Family Violence Option was adopted and included in Nebraska’s TANF State Plan. The Governor of Nebraska and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services approved the Plan. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services has adopted the Family Violence Option. HHSS worked with the Nebraska Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Coalition to develop a plan for referrals between the two agencies and conducted training for the Domestic Violence Agency and HHSS staff. Nebraska’s Family Violence Option provides screening of all Employment First clients for domestic violence. When it is discovered that a client is a victim of domestic violence, they are referred to a local Domestic Violence Agency for an assessment and services. Domestic violence victims may receive an exemption from time-limited status for up to six months, or longer if necessary, to allow them to address their barriers so they can participate in employment or training. To maintain the exemption, the client must work with the case manager to develop a service plan outlining the steps necessary to remove barriers to work participation and follow the plan.

(6) A description of any non-recurrent, short-term benefits provided, including;

(i) The eligibility criteria associated with such benefits, including any restrictions on the amount, duration, or frequency of payments;

Emergency Assistance (EA) – This program provides assistance to low-income families with children to deal with emergency financial situations that threaten the health or well being of the family. This assistance can be given directly to the family or to other providers of services on behalf of these families. Eligibility is limited to families who have gross monthly income below 185 percent of Nebraska’s ADC payment standard for the appropriate family size. The amount of payment is limited to the maximum ADC payment for the appropriate family size.

Allowable service items include shelter, utility bills, home furnishings, emergency non-food items, emergency food, emergency clothing, moving costs, transportation, emergency special diets, medical payments, and emergency telephone installation.

Service payments can be made to meet needs that arose up to sixty days before, and extend sixty days beyond the date of application. To be an eligible payment, any prior and subsequent needs must be directly related to the emergency need at the time of application, and if the needs are met, the current emergency will be resolved. Assistance may be authorized only once per household in any twelve-month period.

(ii) Any policies that limit such payments to families that are eligible for TANF assistance or that have the effect of delaying or suspending a family’s eligibility for assistance;

(iii) Any procedures or activities developed under the TANF program to ensure that individuals diverted from assistance received information about, referrals to, or access to other program benefits (such as Medicaid and food stamps) that might help them make the transition from welfare to work;

(7) A description of the procedures the State has established and is maintaining to resolve
displacement complaints, pursuant to section 407(f)(3) of the Act. This description must include the name of the State agency with the lead responsibility for administering this provision and explanations of how the State has notified the public about these procedures and how an individual can register a complaint;

Worker Protection: No Work Experience or On-the-Job Training placement may result in the displacement of; or infringement of; promotional opportunities of any currently employed worker. Nor will any placement be made to fill a position when the employer reduced its work force with the effect of filling the vacancy with a participant subsidized by the program, or when any other individual is on layoff from the same or equivalent job in the same organizational unit.

Regular employees or their representatives may register complaints with the agency that the assignment of an individual violates the previously described provisions. The Department offers the individual a conciliation period of up to 30 days in which to resolve the dispute. The conciliation process includes a face-to-face interview or telephone conference with a Department representative. Either the Department or the employee may initiate the process.

The Department’s Office of Economic and Family Support and Legal Services shall be contacted so the process can be initiated. If the conciliation process does not resolve the issue, the dissatisfied employee may file a request for a formal hearing.

Hearing Process: The Department’s hearing portion of the grievance procedure must provide the following:
1. A written notice of date, time, and place of the hearing;
2. A hearing on the record;
3. An opportunity to present evidence, bring witnesses, and cross examine witnesses;
4. Representation by counsel at the discretion and cost of the employee; and
5. A written decision.

This process must not exceed 90 days from the date of the complaint, by which time the Department must provide the complainant the written decision.

Appeal Administrative Law Judges: The written decision may be appealed by any dissatisfied party within 20 days of the receipt of the Department’s written decision. The appeal must be sent to the Office of Administrative Law Judges, U.S. Department of Labor, Vanguard Building, Room 600, 1111 20th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20036. The appeal must contain the following:
1. The full name, address, and telephone number of the appellant;
2. The provisions of the Social Security Act or regulations believed to have been violated;
3. A copy of the original complaint filed with the Department; and
4. A copy of the Department’s findings and decision regarding the appellant’s complaint.

The appellant shall send copies of the appeal and any brief in support of it to the Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20210 and to the Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 370 L’Enfant Promenade, SW, Washington, D.C. 20447.

The Department shall certify and file with the Office of Administrative Law Judges the entire administrative record of the matter under appeal within 30 days of that office's request for it.

The Department shall send copies of this record to the Assistant for Employment and Training and the Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families. The decision of the Office of Administrative Law Judges is the final decision of the Secretary of Labor on the appeal and must be transmitted to the parties to the appeal, the Department, and the Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Heath and Human Services, for appropriate action.

This provision is included in the Nebraska Administrative Code Title 468. It is available on the Internet through the State’s web site, the administrative offices of the Department of Health and Human Services or at any local Department of Health and Human Services office.

(8) A summary of State programs and activities directed at the third and fourth statutory
purposes of TANF (as specified at §260.20(c) and (d) of this chapter).

Out of Wedlock Births – Nebraska Health and Human Services System programs, including the Reproductive Health Program and TANF, are working together to establish numerical goals and decrease unintended pregnancies statewide through staff training, public awareness and community education programs, and will further explore ways to increase access to family planning services.

The Nebraska Adolescent Pregnancy Network has been formed and consists of the Department of Nebraska Health and Human Services; the Nebraska Department of Education; the Governor’s Urban Indian Affairs Office; the Mexican American Commission; the Nebraska Crime Commission (Office of Juvenile Justice); the University of Nebraska Lincoln Cooperative Extension; the University of Nebraska Lincoln Center on Children, Families and the Law; and the Women’s Commission. The goal of the network is to decrease adolescent pregnancy in Nebraska by consolidating efforts and increasing the collaboration of state programs forming a unified focus addressing the needs of pregnant and parenting teens, and increase public awareness.

State Rape Education Program - The Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center, the Nebraska State Patrol, and Omaha Police Department are the three entities responsible for providing training to Nebraska’s law enforcement officials on the problem of statutory rape. In addition, Nebraska HHS contracts with the Nebraska Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Coalition to provide training and technical assistance to local rape crisis centers as well as local police departments upon request regarding statutory rape.

(9) An estimate of the total number of individuals who have participated in subsidized
employment under §261.30(b) or (c) of this chapter.

Nebraska does not operate a subsidized employment component in its Employment First program.

Provide the following information for EACH PROGRAM for which the State claims MOE expenditures.

1. Name of Benefit or Service Program: Aid to Dependent Children – Regular Program

Nebraska’s Aid to Dependent Children Program (ADC) provides cash assistance to low-income families with minor children. This program is funded with both TANF federal funds and state MOE funds. The maximum payments for a family per month are shown below:

Eligible Members	Maximum Payment
1 Individual	$222
2 Individuals	293
3 Individuals	364
4 Individuals	435
5 Individuals	506

Beginning in the third trimester of a mother’s pregnancy, the program extends ADC coverage to an unborn child. In households where there are no other eligible children, both the parent(s) and the unborn child are eligible for a monthly ADC cash payment. In an existing ADC household, the unborn child is added to the household unit when determining the amount of the ADC cash payment unless excluded by the Family Cap. If children are born into a household more than 10 months from the date the Self-Sufficiency Contract is signed, then the ADC cash assistance amount does not increase. However, the excluded children are still eligible for Medicaid and Food Stamps.

All adults whose needs are included in the ADC budget must register for the Employment First Program unless exempt. For example, incapacitated parents are exempt from participation. Also, the Department and the recipients sign a Self-Sufficiency Contract outlining the responsibility that the State has to provide support services, job training, education and employment preparation activities and the responsibility that the clients have to participate in approved activities and cooperate with certain program requirements.

ADC cash assistance will be provided to Employment First mandatory families for 24 months within a continuous 48-month period. Extensions will be provided in the following circumstances:
• Without cash benefits the family would not have sufficient funds to avoid extreme hardship;
• It has been determined that there is no job available to the client where the unearned income and the net earned income (after earned income disregard and child care disregard, if appropriate) would exceed the ADC payment level for the family size;
• The adult member(s) of the family is no longer able to meet the conditions of the Self-Sufficiency Contract; or
• The Department has failed to meet the terms of the Self-Sufficiency Contract.

The ADC program provides cash assistance to low-income families with minor children to meet the basic needs of life. This assistance is used to pay for family living expenses such as rent, utilities, food, clothing and other household necessities.

4. Program Type. (Check one)

_ 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 (i.e.; Complete only if this
program is a separate State program)

7. Total State Expenditures Claimed as MOE under the Program for the Fiscal Year: $10,688,085

This last figure represents (check one):

_ X_ The average monthly total for the Fiscal Year.
____ The total served over the Fiscal Year.

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

A household is eligible for Aid to Dependent Children (ADC)if each of the following criteria is met:
• The family unit contains a child under the age of 19;
• Monthly income must be within the ADC standard established by the State. Earned income disregards (income not counted towards eligibility) are provided as work incentives. First, an earned income disregard of 20% and a possible child care disregard is applied and then compared to the Standard of Need. No payment can exceed the maximum payment level. Finally, any countable unearned income reduces the payment dollar for dollar.

Unit Size	Standard of Need	Maximum Payment
1 Individual	$417	$222
2 Individuals	514	293
3 Individuals	611	364
4 Individuals	708	435
5 Individuals	805	506

• The family’s resources cannot exceed $6,000 for a two-person household. Resources are cash or other liquid assets or any type of real or personal property that may be converted into cash and non-liquid assets. The following items are some of the exclusions when determining the value of resources:
•real property used as a home;
•goods of moderate value used in the home;
• clothing;
• burial trusts and burial spaces;
•one motor vehicle used for employment or medical transportation.
•The following household members are counted as part of the unit when determining eligibility:
•all children who meet age requirements;
•parents;
•a needy caretaker relative (i.e., grandparent, aunt or uncle), or a needy court appointed guardian or conservator may be included if the person requests to be part of the unit.

10. Prior Program Authorization: Was this program authorized and allowable under prior law (i.e., as defined at §260.30)? (check one)

11. Total Program Expenditures in FY 1995.
(NOTE: Provide only if the response on to question 10 is No.)

1. Name of Benefit or Service Program: Aid to Dependent Children – Separate State Program

Nebraska’s Aid to Dependent Children (ADC) – Separate State program provides cash assistance to low-income families with minor children. There are two parts:

1) Two- parent families; and

2) Families who are exempt from work participation requirements and state and federal time limits. This program is identical to the ADC – Regular program, except these families have two parents in the family unit or are exempt from the work participation requirements and time limits. This program is funded entirely with Separate State Program MOE funds.

The maximum payments for a family per month are shown below:

Beginning in the third trimester of a mother’s pregnancy, the program extends ADC coverage to an unborn child. In households where there are no other eligible children, both the parent(s) and the unborn child are eligible for a monthly ADC cash payment. In an existing ADC household, the unborn child is added to the household unit when determining the amount of the ADC cash payment unless excluded by the Family Cap. If children are born into a household more than 10 months from the date of the Self-Sufficiency Contract is signed, then the ADC cash assistance amount does not increase. However, the excluded children are still eligible for Medicaid and Food Stamps.

All adults participating in the ADC-Two Parent Program must participate in the Employment First program unless exempt. For example, incapacitated parents are exempt from participation. The Department and the recipients sign a Self-Sufficiency Contract outlining the responsibility that the State has to provide support services, job training, education and employment preparation activities and the responsibility that the clients have to participate in approved activities and cooperate with certain program requirements.

Eligible Members	Maximum Payment
1 Individual	$222
2 Individuals	293
3 Individuals	364
4 Individuals	435
5 Individuals	506

ADC cash assistance will be provided to Employment First mandatory families for 24 months within a continuous 48-month period. Extensions will be provided in the following circumstances:
• Without cash benefits the family would not have sufficient funds to avoid extreme hardship;
•It has been determined that there is no job available to the client where the unearned income and the net earned income (after earned income disregard and child care disregard, if appropriate) would exceed the ADC payment level for the family size;
•The adult member(s) of the family is no longer able to meet the conditions of the Self-Sufficiency Contract; or
•The Department has failed to meet the terms of the Self-Sufficiency Contract.

Parents in the Exempt Families Program are exempt from the work participation requirements and state and federal time limits if they are single-parent families where the adult or minor parent is incapacitated with a medically determinable physical, mental or emotional impairment or who has significant barriers to participation in approved work activities. Nebraska provides the services necessary to help these individuals overcome and/or remove the barriers preventing them from effectively engaging in approved work activities and attaining the maximum level of economic independence possible for their families through work. The case manager must develop an individualized service plan with the client. The service plan outlines the steps necessary to overcome the individual’s barriers to work participation. If the client fails to follow the service plan without good cause, s/he loses the exemption, becomes mandatory for work participation, and returns to the regular ADC program.

The ADC program provides cash assistance to low-income families with minor children to meet basic needs of life. This assistance is used to pay for family living expenses like rent, utilities, food, clothing and other household necessities.

4. Program Type. (Check one)
___ 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 (i.e., Complete only if this program is a separate State program.):

Clients in the exempt families separate state program are exempt from work requirements due to mental, physical or emotional impairments or who has significant barriers to participation in approved work activities. The case manager must develop an individualized service plan with the client. The service plan outlines the steps necessary to overcome the individual’s barriers to work participation. If the client fails to follow the service plan without good cause, s/he loses the exemption, becomes mandatory for work participation, and returns to the regular ADC program.

The following list of component activities are Nebraska's approved work activities for two-parent families:

Job Search – This component assists participants in finding their own jobs. The emphasis is placed on teaching the individual to take responsibility for his/her own job development and placement. If an intensive job search does not result in employment within three months, the assessments and the Self-Sufficiency Contract must be re-evaluated. The Job Search component offers two formats: Group job search and independent job search that may be performed simultaneously. Job search beyond six weeks is not counted in federal work participation rates.

Post-Secondary Education – Post-secondary education is limited to that which is directly related to the fulfillment of an individual’s vocational goal and must be completed within the twenty-four month time limit of eligibility. Only those occupations that can be demonstrated to be marketable and be anticipated to pay a wage that will lead the family to economic independence are approved and included in the Self-Sufficiency Contract. Postgraduate programs may not be approved in the Self-Sufficiency Contract. Post-secondary education is not counted in federal work participation rates.

Job Readiness – These activities prepare clients for all aspects of being employed. Participants learn how to remove personal and family barriers to work and economic independence; develop work-place maturity skills such as motivation, reliability, punctuality, dependability, responsibility, job retention and pride in work; acquire career awareness knowledge including interests, values, aptitudes, career decision making, career development and career maturity; develop goal-setting skills; develop decision-making and problem-solving skills; improve self-awareness including self-expectations, self-confidence and self-esteem; budget fiscal resources; participate in family planning; and build family support and cohesion through parent and child education.

Apprenticeship – A client is considered actively engaged in an approved work activity if that client becomes a registered apprentice with a trade organization. A participant may apply for and enter into a formal apprenticeship with any trade organization. A client participating in an apprenticeship must complete the program and be fully employed in the trade by the end of the twenty-four months of eligibility.

Micro-business Enterprise – A client is considered actively engaged in an approved work activity by establishing a micro-business enterprise. For the Self-Sufficiency Contract to contain this component activity, an assessment of the likelihood of business success must be obtained and benchmarks established to access measurable progress. The individual will be referred to work with organizations that offer entrepreneurial assistance with business information, business development and training, development of a business prospectus, follow-up technical assistance, and access to small loans.

Employment – A client is considered actively engaged in an approved work activity if that client is employed full or part time and receiving a wage that is adequate to help the family achieve economic independence. If the employment is part-time the client must be participating in another component activity(ies) designed to help him/her achieve economic independence.

7. Total State Expenditures Claimed as MOE under the Program for the Fiscal Year: $5,946,039

8. Total Number of Families Served under the Program with MOE Funds:
1050 Two-Parent Families
351 Exempt Families

This last figure represents (check one):

_ X_ The average monthly total for the Fiscal Year.
____ The total served over the Fiscal Year.

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

A household is eligible for Aid to Dependent Children (ADC) if each of the following criteria is met:
- The family unit contains a child under the age of 19,
- Monthly income must be within the ADC standard established by the State. Earned income disregards (income not counted towards eligibility) are provided as work incentives. First, an earned income disregard of 20% and a possible child care disregard is applied and then compared to the Standard of Need. No payment can exceed the maximum payment. Finally, any countable unearned income reduces the payment dollar for dollar.

Eligible Members	Standard of Need	Maximum Payment
1 Individual	$417	$222
2 Individuals	514	293
3 Individuals	611	364
4 Individuals	708	435
5 Individuals	805	506

•The family’s resources cannot exceed $6,000 for a two-person household. Resources are cash or other liquid assets, or any type of real or personal property that may be converted into cash and non-liquid assets. The following items are some of the exclusions when determining the value of resources:
• real property used as a home;
•goods of moderate value used in the home;
•clothing;
• burial trusts and burial spaces;
• one motor vehicle used for employment or medical transportation.
• The following household members are counted as part of the unit when determining eligibility:
• all children who meet age requirements;
• parents;
• a caretaker relative (i.e., grandparent, aunt or uncle) may be included if the person requests to be part of the unit.

10. Prior Program Authorization: Was this program authorized and allowable under prior law (i.e., as defined at §260.30)? (check one)

Yes _X_ No ____

11. Total Program Expenditures in FY 1995. N/A
(NOTE: Provide only if the response to question 10 is No.)

Nebraska’s Emergency Assistance (EA) program provides assistance to low-income families with children to deal with emergency financial situations that threaten the health or well being of the family. This assistance can be given directly to the family or to other providers of services on behalf of these families.

Eligibility is limited to families who have gross monthly income below 185 percent of Nebraska’s ADC payment standard for the appropriate family size. The amount of payment is limited to the maximum ADC payment level for the appropriate family size.

Service payments can be made to meet needs that arose up to sixty days before and extend sixty days beyond the date of application. To be an eligible payment, any prior and subsequent needs must be directly related to the emergency need at the time of application. If these needs are met, then the current emergency will be resolved. Assistance may be authorized only once per household in any twelve-month period. This program is funded with State MOE funds.

Emergency Assistance provides assistance to needy families with minor children who are threatened with a crisis and other resources are not available. Families use this assistance to avoid potentially life-threatening conditions.

Eligible Members	Maximum Payment
1 Individual	$222
2 Individuals	293
3 Individuals	364
4 Individuals	435
5 Individuals	506

4. Program Type. (Check one)

_ 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 (i.e., Complete only if this program is a separate State program):

7. Total State Expenditures Claimed as MOE under the Program for the Fiscal Year: $883,085

8. Total Number of Families Served under the Program with MOE Funds: 212

This last figure represents (check one):

_ X_ The average monthly total for the Fiscal Year.
____ The total served over the Fiscal Year.

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

To be eligible for EA, families must meet the following requirements:
• The family unit contains a child 18 years of age or younger;
•The family is without income and resources immediately accessible to meet their needs;
• Assistance is needed to avoid destitution or to provide living arrangements in a home;
•The need did not arise because the child (if age 16 or older and not in school) or the relative responsible for support and care refused without good cause to accept employment or training;
•The need cannot be met by any other source in the community;
•Gross monthly income must be at or below the ADC standard of need established by the State for the appropriate family size.

Eligible Members	Monthly Income
1 Individual	$417
2 Individuals	514
3 Individuals	611
4 Individuals	708
5 Individuals`	805

10. Prior Program Authorization: Was this program authorized and allowable under prior law (i.e., as defined at §260.30)? (check one)
_ X_ Yes ___ No

11. Total Program Expenditures in FY 1995.
(NOTE: Provide only if the response on to question 10 is No.)

Nebraska Health and Human Services (HHS) provides subsidies for eligible families to help cover the expenses of child care through the Child Care Subsidy program. Assistance is available to low-income families who need care for children while the adults are participating in the Employment First program, or if needed to accept or retain employment or to participate in activities to gain employment.

Like the Title IV-A funded program that preceded the current program, the families receiving assistance are comprised of families receiving ADC cash assistance, families that are transitioning off of ADC cash assistance, and families at risk of becoming eligible for ADC cash assistance because of their income and family situations.

For providers and clients, the Child Care Subsidy program is a “seamless” system with only one set of guidelines for eligibility, payments and family co-payments regardless of the source of funding for the program. The program is funded with Child Care Development Funds and state funds. A fixed amount (set at the CCDF Maintenance-of-Effort) of the state funds are also countable for the TANF Maintenance-of-Effort.

For families with gross monthly income below approximately 100 percent of the federal poverty level for the appropriate family size defined in State regulation, no family co-pay is required to cover the costs of child care. For families with income above 100 percent but below 120 percent of the federal poverty level, a monthly family co-pay must be paid to the child care provider. The amount of the co-pay is determined on a sliding fee schedule based on the number of people in the family, the number of children in care and the amount of income.

The Child Care Subsidy program provides needy families with a subsidy to cover the costs of care for the children while the adults are participating in Employment First work activities, or if needed to accept or retain employment or to participate in activities to gain employment.

4. Program Type. (Check one)

_ 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 (i.e., Complete only if this program
is a separate State program.):

The Child Care Subsidy provides no work activities to participants, rather the program provides families with an opportunity to receive child care services while the adults participate in employment, education or training.

7. Total State Expenditures Claimed as MOE under the Program for the Fiscal Year: $6,498,998

8. Total Number of Families Served under the Program with MOE Funds: 7,265

This last figure represents (check one):

_X_ The average monthly total for the Fiscal Year.
___ The total served over the Fiscal Year.

9. Eligibility Criteria for Receiving MOE-funded Benefits or Services under the Program:
To be eligible for the Child Care Subsidy program, families must meet the following requirements:

• The family unit must have gross monthly income below 120% of the federal poverty levels for appropriate family sizes as defined in State regulations. (The current levels are based on 2003 federal poverty guidelines.) Families with income below the poverty level have no co-pay requirements. Families with income above poverty have a co-pay based on a sliding fee schedule.
•Children must be 12 years or younger to be eligible for child care services, unless the child has special needs.
•The adult requesting child care assistance must have a justified need for child care services because of training, education or employment activities.

1. The family loses eligibility for ADC cash assistance as a result of increased earnings or increased hours of employment;
2. The family received an ADC cash payment for which they were eligible in three of the last six months preceding ineligibility;
3. The family provides the financial information necessary to determine eligibility and the amount of the fee;
4. The child care is necessary to allow the parent to accept or retain employment; and
5. The family’s gross earned and unearned income is equal to or less than 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.

10. Prior Program Authorization: Was this program authorized and allowable under prior law (i.e., as defined at §260.30)? (check one)

11. Total Program Expenditures in FY 1995.
(NOTE: provide only if the response on to question 10 is No.)

This program provides assistance in the form of subsidies to families after the adoption is final. Subsidies are available for children with special circumstances for whom adoption would not be possible without the financial aid provided by this program. Adoptions not qualifying for federal participation under Title IV-E, are state-funded.

An adopted child is eligible for a subsidy if he/she is age 18 or younger and is classified as a special need child because he/she cannot be reunified with a biological/legal parent and is older (over the age 8 years); a member of a sibling group of 3 or more needing to be placed together; has a physical, mental, emotional or behavioral condition; or must be adopted by the current foster family due to psychological, parental attachments.

3. Purpose(s) of Benefit or Service Program:
The purpose of the program is to remove financial barriers to adoption for children with special needs.

4. Program Type. (Check one)

_ 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 (i.e., Complete only if this program is a separate State program):

6. Total State Expenditures for the Program for the Fiscal Year: $4,613,032

7. Total State Expenditures Claimed as MOE under the Program for the Fiscal Year:
$4,613,032

This last figure represents (check one):

_ X_ The average monthly total for the Fiscal Year.
___ The total served over the Fiscal Year.

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

Child must be under age 19. Child must have special needs and the family must be found to need the financial assistance in order for them to adopt.

10. Prior Program Authorization: Was this program authorized and allowable under prior law (i.e., as defined at §260.30)? (check one)
____Yes _X_ No

11. Total Program Expenditures in FY 1995. N/A
(NOTE: Provide only if the response to question 10 is No.)

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: Willard Bouwens TITLE: Administrator