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Iowa’s TANF State Plan

21 Daily Foster Care Maintenance Rates by Age:

Ages 0-5 Ages 6- 11 Ages 12-15 Age 16+ Basic Daily Rate $18.50 $19.24 $21.06 $21.34

Previously Authorized Services:

The state may use TANF funds for a number of services previously authorized under its IV-A or IV-F State Plan in effect as of September 30, 1995.

Commonly and collectively referred to as IV-A Emergency Assistance, these services are provided to children who are: victims of abuse or at risk of abuse or neglect; at risk of out-of- home placement; or are in need of care. Services include: family assistance fund; social casework; family preservation; family foster care; and shelter care (over 48 hours).

Families must meet general child welfare eligibility criteria regardless of the specific service(s) being sought: residency, an eligible child (under age 18, although some services are available up to age 21), and a need for services. Children meeting general eligibility are then screened for eligibility for TANF funding of services (initially and at 6-month intervals while services are provided).

Eligibility criteria for TANF funding is the same as under the prior IV-A or IV-F State Plan: there must be an emergency situation that did not result from a refusal of employment; an application must be made on behalf of a child under age 18 needing one or more IV-A eligible services; the family must meet service eligibility criteria based on the type(s) of service sought; the family must be receiving FIP, SNAP, Medicaid, or SSI in the month of application, or does not have cash to provide needed emergency care or services; and the family must not have applied for IV- A Emergency Assistance in the last 12 months.

The state no longer categorizes or reports TANF expenditures on the basis of being previously authorized. All of the previously authorized programs above have been determined to meet one or more of the four statutory purposes under 401(a) of Title IV-A of the Social Security Act and incorporated into the Pregnancy Prevention/Services to At-Risk Children section of this Plan.

As a juvenile justice service, adolescent monitoring and tracking has been determined by the federal Office of Family Assistance to not meet any of the four statutory purposes of TANF (see TANF-ACF-PI-2015-02). The state could use TANF funds for this program on the basis that it was previously authorized. However, effective July 1, 2016, the state has opted to use 100 percent state funds for this program. This action was taken to: (1) avoid the administrative burden associated with distinguishing those adolescents and services meeting the prior state plan requirements from those who do not – necessary as the program has evolved since the prior State Plan was in effect; and (2) prevent any unintended misuse of TANF funds if this distinction is not made correctly.

State funds expended for adolescent monitoring and tracking are not claimed for MOE nor are state expenditures for any other juvenile justice services.