Strategies Working With Two-Parent Families August 2007.

Strategies

Working With Two-Parent Families

August 2007

Agenda

We will review

Basic participation rate information

Two-parent family definitions

Families that are included in the separate two-parent family rate

Two-parent family participation rate

Denominator

Numerator

The Participation Rates

“Work-eligible” recipients of cash assistance are required to participate in activities that are designed to

Achieve employment goals

Move the family from welfare to work

The State is evaluated to determine the success of engaging work eligible adults in families receiving Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) through the “Participation Rates”

The Participation Rates The Personal Responsibility and Work

Opportunities Reconciliation Act (PRWORA)

Established two participation rates

An all-family rate that includes two-parent families as a single unit

A separate rate for two-parent families

Deficit Reduction Act (DRA)

The DRA maintained the requirements for both the all-family rate and the two-parent family rate

The rates have different requirements

The Participation Rates Federal law allows states to use Maintenance of

Effort (MOE) funds to serve various populations

Under PRWORA, the families served under MOE funds were removed from the participation rates

Florida’s two-parent population is served with MOE funds

Florida was previously not subject to the 90 percent two-parent family rate

As of October 2006, Florida has been subject to the two-parent family participation rate requirement of 90 percent

The Participation Rates

The DRA increased accountability for serving two-parent families

The DRA required all separate state programs funded by MOE to meet participation requirements for both rates

Engaging Two-Parent Families

What is the definition of a two-parent family?

Two parents of a mutual child are living in the same household

For the two-parent participation rate

Both parents reside in the home

The parents in the home share a mutual child

Both parents are work eligible individuals

Neither parent is disabled/limited from work for greater than 30 days


Two-parent families that do not count in the two-parent participation rate include

Two-parent families with an ineligible alien

Two-parent families with a “disabled” parent

Engaging Two-Parent Families Two-parent families with a disabled parent

who cannot work/participate full-time are determined through two indicators

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) marks the case on its system

A deferral is entered on the Alternative Plan screen of the One-Stop Service Tracking (OSST) system

Must be a medical or alcohol, drug, mental health deferral lasting greater than 30 days


Previously, OSST medical deferrals had 90 day indicators


Indicators prior to October 2007

Medical Deferral (90 days or more), code 31

Alcohol, Drug, Mental (90 days or more), code 34

Updated indicators as of October 2007

Medical Deferral (30 days or more), code 42

Alcohol, Drug, Mental (30 days or more), code 44


To reduce confusion, the following deferral types are being deactivated

Deferred-high risk pregnancy

Deferred-SSI applicant

There will be other locations on the Alternative Plan’s Deferral screen to record this information


Calculating the two-parent rate

Denominator

Number of two-parent families receiving assistance that meet the required definition of a two-parent family

Minus those that are subject to sanction



Numerator

Number of two-parent families receiving assistance that meet the two-family definition

And have met the required hours of participation for the month

Core required hours are completed and recorded in the system

Total required hours are completed and recorded in the system



Numerator

How many hours are required to meet participation for a two-parent family rate?

If the family is not receiving federally subsidized childcare, the family must complete

30 hours in a core activity (or activities)

35 hours total (may combine core and core plus activities)



Numerator

How many hours are required to meet participation for a two-parent family rate?

If the family is receiving federally subsidized childcare, the family must complete

50 hours in a core activity (or activities)

55 hours total (may combine core and core plus activities)


Remember

This includes two-parent families with two work eligible adults

This does not include families with a parent that is disabled or unable to participate greater than 30 days

Document signed by a licensed physician is secured and retained in the case file

Disability status is recorded in the system appropriately


Engagement

How do we know if we are moving in the right direction?

How can we gauge our program’s success with serving two-parent families?


Securing information

OSST (searches and reports)

We can use Search and Reports features in OSST

Data warehouse

We can use data warehouse to pull reports


Internal indicators can be developed

How are two-parent families leaving cash assistance each month?

Sanctions

Employment

Time limits expire

Other



Each of these elements can provide us with indicators about two-parent family success

Sanctions

Are a lot of families leaving due to sanctions?

Why?

Are their activities directly related to their goals?

Do they receive their weekly activities (who, what, when, where) in writing?



Employment

Are our participants leaving with employment directly from Work Experience, Community Service or Job Search programs?

Are our activities helping participants to gain skills that lead directly to employment?



Time limits

How quickly are two-parent families being engaged by the program?

Are the activities leading to work or are they staying on cash assistance for long periods of time?



Are two-parent families engaged in countable activities?

Review the population monthly

Are participants assigned to activities?

Do the activities meet the core and total requirements?

Did the participant agree to the activities?

Are the activities related to the family’s goals and the participants’ individual goals?

Engaging Two-Parent Families We can look at indicators on the Internet

Monthly Management Report (MMR)

The MMR provides preliminary information each month

Quarterly Key Measures (QKM)

Looks at quarterly data

Data is compiled at least 40 days after the quarter has ended

May catch some data missed by the MMR

Engaging Two-Parent Families Strategies

Establish the basics

Ensure staff understand the basic requirements to meet the participation rates

The two-parent family is made of two parents with a mutual child

The two-parent family included in the participation rate is made of two work eligible parents of a mutual child

The two-parent family must meet core and total requirements to be included in the numerator

Each individual should be engaged to establish goals, discover their skills, review their work history and create a plan

Specialized case-management

Two-parent families are a very small population

Select a staff member to be trained and learn about serving the needs of two-parent families, as well as meeting participation rate requirements

Not all career specialists will be required to know the complicated requirements, which are often confused with “all family” requirements


Engaging Two-Parent Families Participation rate requirements can be very confusing, develop

“threshold” requirements

Examples

All participants are engaged a minimum of 35 hours per week unless documentation is secured by a licensed physician or other good cause is accepted

All participants are required to complete a core number of hours in a core activity (or activities)

All participants develop and sign an Individual Responsibility Plan

Both parents are required to attend appointments (separate or together based on schedule/needs) to turn in documentation and update their steps to self-sufficiency

Two-parent families are “seen” as a unit unless domestic violence is an issue

Engaging Two-Parent Families Participants are given support services to complete

work and alternative activities

Participants/families are given support services based on need


Create best practices to engage two-parent families

Contact families on a regular basis to encourage participation

Offer counseling services for two-parent families

Focus on the participant’s wants, the family’s wants/needs and develop a plan using services and activities that move the family towards their wants

Ensure both parents leave each appointment with clear requirements detailed in a signed plan (or plan update)

Ensure both parents have regular follow-up appointments to turn in documents and review their steps towards self-sufficiency


Create best practices to engage two-parent families

Develop activities that engage participants in goal related work and skill attainment

Reach out to the community to utilize employers and training that already exist

Use TANF dollars, according to RWB approval, to create specialized training, on-the-job training, subsidized employment and other activities

Bring providers in-house for apprenticeship programs, basic education training, special skills training, counseling, etc.

If you have any questions, comments, or

concerns, please contact the Welfare

Transition Team through the Agency for

Workforce Innovation’s Call Center at

1-866-352-2345

An equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. All voice telephone numbers on this document may be reached by persons using TTY/TDD equipment via the Florida Relay Service at 711.

Strategies Working With Two-Parent Families August 2007.

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