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

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(1) Fugitive or fleeing felons, parole violators, or probation violators; (2) Specified caretakers who fail to report, without good cause within normal program reporting requirements, a child(ren) who is expected to be out of the home for longer than forty-five (45) calendar days, will be ineligible for assistance for ninety (90) calendar days from the date that it is determined he or she should have reported the expected absence; (3) Persons convicted of a drug-related felony on or after July 1, 1997, unless the county department has determined that the person has taken action toward rehabilitation, such as, but not limited to, participation in a drug treatment program; (4) Assistance units with an adult participating in a strike; and, (5) Qualified legal non-citizens or those who are not federally exempt, who entered the United States on or after August 22, 1996, are ineligible for cash assistance for five (5) years from date of entry into the United States.

In addition to the basic cash assistance grant, county departments of human/social services may provide other assistance in the form of additional benefits, services, and incentives to participants above the basic benefit level, as outlined in their county policy.

Dependent child(ren) must live with a specified caretaker; except for child(ren) receiving family preservation services or child(ren) receiving services as outlined in Colorado’s approved Title IV-A State Plan in effect as of September 30, 1995. A specified caretaker is a person who exercises responsibility for the child and may or may not be related to that child.

To receive benefits, an assistance unit may consist of the dependent child, siblings of the dependent child, and specified caretaker (such as parents or grandparents, etc.). A dependent child is a child under age 18 or between 18 and 19 who is expected to graduate from high school prior to his/her 19th birthday.

Every household receiving TANF assistance is raising a child. There are three primary family types receiving Colorado Works assistance: • Single parent households with at least one child (including pregnant women without other children) • Child(ren) living with a caretaker where the child(ren) and the caretaker are also receiving benefits • Child(ren) living with a caretaker whereby benefits are to support the child(ren), but not the adult(s) in the household (referred to as Child-only participants)

Persons living in the household who are financially responsible for members of the assistance unit, but who are not required to be in the unit, will have their income, minus the employment disregard, deemed available to the family unit. The income disregard at initial application is $90;