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Colorado State Plan Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Effective July 1, 2018

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PRWORA was signed into law in 1996. Non-recipient parents are not considered work eligible individuals in Colorado for reasons outlined in the TANF Final Rule, such as non-citizen status and minor parents who are not a head of household. Colorado does not include SSI/SSDI recipients in the work participation rate calculations. CBMS identifies cases where a parent is caring for a disabled family member and should not be categorized as a work eligible individual. County departments are trained and formally advised of the need to document medical verifications in the case file for this purpose. Medical verification will be updated at each redetermination of Colorado Works eligibility, or before, if warranted. A family member for the purpose of this coding is considered to be any person living in the household who is dependent on the work eligible individual(s) for care and receiving financial support.

Work participation. All work eligible individuals engage in an individualized plan, and as such, participate in a State or county defined work activity. Exception is made for those with a domestic violence waiver or for single parents with a child under age six for whom childcare is unavailable. Single parents with a child under age one are not exempt, unless specified by county policy.

Failure to engage in the individualized plan components and activities without good cause will result in sanction, as described in the sections of this plan on “sanctions” and “disqualifications”. Colorado considers childcare unavailable if childcare is inaccessible, unaffordable, or unsuitable as defined in each county policy. All participants are notified in writing of the criteria for this exemption, how to apply for the exemption, and the effect of this exemption on time limits.

Work activities, good cause for failure to participate and definition of ready to work. Colorado utilizes the federally defined work activities as the building blocks of an individualized plan that is outcome-based. Federally defined work activities are considered a means to an end, but not the end itself. As such, Colorado has implemented a statewide Employment Entry performance measure for the Colorado Works program, and provides guidance to counties on how to best utilize work activities to support and promote an employment goal. Per the State’s Work Verification Plan (WVP), all federally recognized work activities are used in Colorado, save the provision of childcare for another recipient in community services. Colorado adheres to the federal requirements around work participation and verification, and has consistently met the state’s work participation rate since 1996. Please see the WVP for a detailed list of activities, hours, and verification requirements.

Good cause for not engaging in work activities is determined at the county level, in accordance with federal and State guidelines. County departments utilize assessments, interviewing skills, and case management to support families in the goal of self-sufficiency, and determine together with the participant what activities best support their individualized plan. Case management is ongoing, allowing for the adaptation of the individualized plan over time and as circumstances change; Colorado employs a model of the Colorado Works program that is strengths-based and customer-centered. Counties are encouraged to engage program participants in a manner that stabilizes and supports the family, reserving sanctioning as a final resort after conciliation is unsuccessful.