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Iowa’s TANF State Plan

24 Certain aspects of this program may also meet the 4th statutory objective of TANF, to encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.

 Child Protective Assessments: TANF funds are used to assess reported incidents of child abuse and neglect when the family is determined to be ineligible for funding under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act. Assessments may include drug testing.

Applications for additional services available from the Iowa HHS and referrals to other community support services are made based on the finding(s) and risk level of each assessment. Assessments are provided without regard to family income or resources.

Programs to Encourage Two-Parent Families:

The following program(s) provide services intended to meet the 4th statutory purpose of TANF, to encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.

 Promoting the Benefits of a Healthy Marriage: This program uses a paper brochure to provide information on the benefits of a healthy marriage and is available only to households applying for and/or receiving benefits under the Iowa SNAP.

Households must have gross income at or below 160 percent of the federal poverty level with no asset or resource limitations. Households must otherwise meet SNAP eligibility factors. Households who are eligible for this program become categorically eligible to receive Iowa SNAP benefits. There are no other services available beyond the informational brochure.

Other TANF or State Only Funded Programs:

 Refundable Iowa Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): This Separate State Program provides a refundable Iowa EITC to needy families effective with tax year 2007.

Eligibility for the state EITC is based on eligibility for the federal EITC. Consequently, eligibility criteria, including income limits, are those used for the federal EITC for families in any given year.

Iowa’s EITC is paid for with 100 percent state dollars. Prior to tax year 2007, Iowa allowed EITC as a tax credit, but none of the credit was refundable. State funds used to provide state EITC refunds to families became a new MOE investment effective FFY 2008. For tax years 2007-2013, the state EITC was seven percent of the federal EITC. Iowa’s EITC increased to 14 percent of the federal EITC effective for tax year 2014 and to 15 percent for tax year 2015. The 2018 Iowa Tax Reform Bill allows taxpayers to be eligible for an EITC equal to 15 percent of the federal credit amount for tax year 2018 and beyond. This program meets TANF purposes one and two: 1) provide assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives; and 2) ending the dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work and marriage.