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Delaware TANF State Plan 10-1-23 to 09-30-26 Page 39 of 59

benefits utilizing solely state funding (SSF) if it becomes necessary to continue to meet TANF work participation requirements.

Maintenance of Effort

Delaware is aware of and intends to fully comply with the requirements of the law (P.L. 104-193) to maintain a prescribed level of historic state expenditures. Delaware will ensure that expenditures of state funds for benefits and services ("Qualified State Expenditures" as defined in the law) for TANF participants (either in the Part A federally funded program or non-Part A state funded program) who are TANF eligible will equal or exceed the required annual spending level.

As a 1975 fill-the-gap state, Delaware has opted to continue to use fill-the-gap for the issuance of child support disregards and child support supplemental payments to TANF clients. Delaware considers these payments to be "cash assistance" to eligible families and therefore to be within the definition of "Qualified State Expenditures".

Financial eligibility criteria for MOE-funded and solely state funded assistance or services are the same as for other TANF assistance or services. Other program services may be provided to needy families or needy parents as defined elsewhere in the Plan.

State Maintenance of Effort funded programs are below.

Childcare

Delaware uses a combination of TANF and MOE funds. MOE claimed for childcare under the provisions of 45 CFR Ch. II § 263.3 will follow the financial eligibility criteria below.

• Technical eligibility:

Children must be under the age of 13 or if between age of 13-19 have a special need in which the child is physically and/or mentally incapable of self-care. Be involved with DFS.

Parents must be employed, participating with a TANF or SNAP Employment/Training vendor, involved with DFS, attend high school, have a special need in which they are unable to care for the child(ren).

• Financial Eligibility:

Initial income eligibility will be 185% FPL with exit income level at 200% FPL. All childcare will be authorized for a period of 12 months with parent