93.9 Other FIA activities.

93.9(1) Parenting skills training. a. Parents aged 20 or older. For parents who are aged 20 or older when the FIA is signed, activities that strengthen the participant’s ability to be a better parent can be considered approvable training under PROMISE JOBS and may be included in the FIA as long as the participant is active in at least one other PROMISE JOBS component. Parents aged 20 or older who do not carry out the parenting skills training described in the FIA shall be considered to have chosen the LBP unless good cause exists or family circumstances warrant renegotiation and amendment of the FIA. Procedures in subrule 93.4(5) and 441—93.13(239B) and 441—93.14(239B) shall apply. b. Parents aged 19 or younger. Parents aged 19 or younger when the FIA is signed are required to include parenting skills training in the FIA, but may be excused from the requirement when documentation of satisfactory completion of parenting skills training is provided before the FIA is signed. (1) Priority for orientation or assessment. In any month, PROMISE JOBS shall give priority for orientation or assessment services to parents who are already aged 19 in order to establish their responsibility for parenting classes before they are aged 20. This applies to those who are scheduled for orientation, to those who are still in assessment, and to those who have an FIA that must be renegotiated and amended. (2) FIA requirement. The FIA shall be written or renegotiated and amended to include specific plans for parenting skills training and shall identify the training provider’s name and beginning and ending dates of the training. The scheduled training may be in the future to accommodate availability of provider resources. However, it shall occur as soon as is compatible with the circumstances of the family, the other activities in the FIA, and the availability of provider resources, except as specified in paragraph 93.4(4)“e.” (3) Parents aged 19 or younger who are participating in a parenting skills training program at the time the FIA is signed shall be allowed to continue in that program, if they choose, as long as the provider is listed in paragraph 93.9(1)“c” or meets the requirements of paragraph 93.9(1)“d” and documentation of enrollment is provided. The time frames as described in paragraph 93.9(1)“d” shall be used to determine the remaining training time to be included in the FIA. (4) Participation in other activities. Parents aged 19 or younger are not required to be participating in another PROMISE JOBS component to be eligible for parenting skills training. Other PROMISE JOBS components are included in the FIA according to policies in subrule 93.4(4). Human Services[441] Ch 93, p.20 IAC 6/10/26 c. Approved providers. The sources listed in this paragraph are approved providers for parenting skills training. (1) High school departments of family and consumer sciences that offer child development, family relationships, or parenting classes and alternative high school programs for pregnant and parenting teens. Services shall be limited to a minimum of one semester and a maximum of two semesters. (2) Community colleges, other associate-degree institutions, and baccalaureate-degree institutions that offer child development, family relationships, or parenting classes. Services shall be limited to one semester or two quarters. (3) Area education agencies; child abuse prevention programs; child and adult food program sponsors; child care resource and referral agencies; family resource centers; maternal and child health centers; family development and self-sufficiency program grantees and other family development providers; Head Start, Head Start parent and child centers, and Early Head Start programs; Iowa State University Extension services; private nonprofit social service agencies; and young parent support and information organizations. Services shall be limited to: 1. A minimum of 6 contact hours or six weeks, whichever comes first, and 2. A maximum of 26 contact hours or six calendar months, whichever comes first. d. Other providers of parenting skills training are approved as long as they: (1) Have five of these six elements: child growth and development, child health and nutrition, child safety, positive discipline, relationships, and life skills. (2) Offer training within the following time frames: 1. A minimum of 6 contact hours or six weeks, whichever comes first, and 2. A maximum of 26 contact hours or six calendar months, whichever comes first. e. Supportive payments. For participants described in paragraphs 93.9(1)“a” and “b,” child care assistance and transportation payments shall be provided as described in rule 441—93.11(239B) when needed for participation in parenting skills training and not available from another source. (1) Other expenses. Payment for tuition, fees, or books and supplies shall be made only when parenting skills training is not available from a free source in the local area. PROMISE JOBS shall not pay for any expenses that are covered by student financial aid in postsecondary educational institutions as provided elsewhere in these rules. (2) Continuation of payments. If the participant chooses to continue with the parenting skills training program beyond the designated period of participation described in paragraphs 93.9(1)“c” and “d,” PROMISE JOBS responsibility for payment of expense payments shall not extend beyond the designated period unless completion is delayed by acceptable instances for nonparticipation as stipulated in rule 441—93.14(239B) or barriers to participation in subrule 93.4(5). f. Participation in parenting skills training. The planned duration of the parenting skills training shall be determined by agreement between the participant and the training provider within the limits described in paragraphs 93.9(1)“c” and “d.” (1) In consultation with the PROMISE JOBS worker, the participant and the provider shall design a written agreement and provide a copy to PROMISE JOBS. The agreement shall designate the period during which the mandatory parenting skills training requirement will be fulfilled. The period specified in the agreement or notice of decision shall be included in the FIA. (2) Participants who fail to carry out this step in the FIA shall be considered to have chosen the LBP. g. Failure to complete parenting skills training. Parents aged 19 or younger who do not include parenting skills training in the FIA or do not carry out the parenting skills training described in the FIA shall be considered to have chosen the LBP. Procedures in subrule 93.4(5) and rules 441—93.13(239B) and 441—93.14(239B) shall apply. 93.9(2) Family development. Family development services are support services for PROMISE JOBS families in need of additional assistance, primarily provided by the FaDSS program operated by the department. The services are designed to promote, empower, and nurture the family to self-sufficiency and healthy reintegration into the community. a. PROMISE JOBS may arrange for these services from entities that meet one of the following criteria wherever these are available. Family development services shall be: Human Services[441] IAC 6/10/26 Ch 93, p.21 (1) Provided by a FaDSS grantee; or (2) Provided by a specialist that has been certified through the National Resource Center on Family Based Services at the University of Iowa College of Social Work or the National Family Support Certification Exam through the Institute for the Advancement of Family Support Professionals. b. Inclusion of family development services by participants as an FIA activity is voluntary except for parents under the age of 18 who are not married and who do not live with a parent or legal guardian as described in subparagraph 93.4(4)“c”(4). 93.9(3) Family planning counseling. Referral for family planning counseling is an optional service that shall be offered to each applicant or participant. It is not a component of PROMISE JOBS. a. The PROMISE JOBS worker shall: (1) Discuss orally and in writing the financial implications of newly born children on the participant’s family during PROMISE JOBS orientation or assessment, using a form approved by the department; and (2) Assist the participant in locating local resources. b. The FIA shall record participant response to the option of referral for family planning counseling. It is not acceptable for the FIA to have family planning counseling as the only step of the FIA. c. Supportive payments. No supportive payments are allowed for family planning counseling. d. Participation. LBP policies do not apply to participants who choose not to include family planning counseling in the FIA or who do not carry out the steps of family planning counseling. [ARC 9281C, IAB 5/14/25, effective 7/1/25]