Page 44

Delaware’s TANF State Plan 10-1-2017 to 9-30-2020

44

households would have applied for and been found eligible for benefits as single mother families. These never formed two-parent households would have had profound effects on the ability of the family to exit welfare and on the future success of the children. We have found that the average length of stay on TANF is much lower for two-parent families, reflecting the greater incidence of retained employment when two adults are able to engage in work and share child care duties.

Delaware has always allowed taxpayers to file separately and applied the progressive rate structure to each spouse's income separately, which avoided most tax increases resulting from marriage. However, a marriage penalty could still result from uneven standard deduction amounts. By increasing the standard deduction amount for married taxpayers to exactly twice the single standard deduction beginning January 1, 2000, enactment of HB 411 has effectively eliminated the income tax "marriage penalty" in the State of Delaware.

Supportive Services

Employment and training activities and work-related supportive services are designed to link TANF adults to employment and help them retain employment. Work-related supportive services may include: • Support provided by contractors to retain employment for up to one (1) year • Health care for Delaware citizens • Job search programs and other assistance from the Department of Labor to find a job • Ongoing job retention assistance • Child care • Eye examinations, corrective lenses, dental expenses, and physicals not covered by Medicaid • Transportation expenses • Work-related equipment, uniforms, shoes, and supplies • Work-related fees and training • Teen Voucher program • Expungement services • Bridge program – the Bridge program assists clients suspected of having problems related to substance abuse, mental health, or domestic violence through screening, assessment, and case management services. The primary role of the Bridge program is to assist clients in accessing appropriate treatment services. The Bridge provider develops a plan with each client that identifies the needed services and develops strategies to ensure compliance with treatment recommendations. The Bridge provider may transport clients to appointments and will coordinate with the employment and training vendors to ensure that the client receives credit for their participation in treatment. In their role as case managers and client advocates, the Bridge vendor will often assist clients who are facing