3012 Requiring Satisfactory School Attendance

Ensuring TANF children maintain satisfactory school attendance is a required CMR element for all TANF clients. 1. School attendance requirements exist for both TANF adults and children. A. TANF adults are required to cooperate with school officials and other service providers when necessary to help their children maintain satisfactory school attendance. B. TANF children are required to maintain satisfactory school attendance as defined by their individual schools or at an 85% attendance rate. 2. TANF clients will receive one-time bonus payments when their children achieve specific school milestones. A. DSS will issue a one-time bonus payment for TANF children who graduate from high school by age 19. This bonus payment will be paid directly to the high school graduate. B. DSS case workers must disregard the bonus payment as income for TANF and Food Benefit cases. 3. Failure to comply (without good cause) with the school attendance element in the CMR will result in a sanction to the TANF case. A. For children under 16 years old: i. The sanction will be an initial $50.00 reduction in the household’s TANF benefit amount if the TANF adult does not comply with the school or other service providers to ensure the child’s satisfactory school attendance. ii. This reduction increases each month by $50.00 until there is compliance or the TANF case is closed. iii. If the child does not comply, a sanction will not be imposed if the TANF adult is complying with the school or other service providers. B. For children over 16 years old: i. If the child does not comply, the child is removed from the TANF grant and the household size is reduced. C. The client will receive written notification of compliance requirements. D. The sanction will end when DSS receives proof that TANF clients are complying with the school attendance element. i. The TANF adult must comply with the school or other service providers for four consecutive weeks for the sanction to end. ii. TANF children over 16 years old must return to school, participate in employment and training, or work for four consecutive weeks for the sanction to end. 23 DE Reg. 384 (11/01/19)