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REQUIREMENTS Regular school attendance is required until high school graduation or completion of a GED for TANF children ages 6 through 17 years of age. The objective of this requirement is to improve the education/literacy level of TANF children in order to bolster self-esteem and encourage their selfsufficiency as adults. EXPLANATIONS It is the responsibility of the case worker to explain school attendance requirements and the electronic process of exchanging attendance data at each application, reapplication and redetermination. The caretaker relative must understand that failure of a TANF child subject to school attendance requirements to attend satisfactorily or assist in verifying data will result in a sanction of both the TANF and SNAP benefits, unless good cause is met. COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS The family may comply with school attendance requirements by enrollment and attendance in a public school setting, by enrollment and attendance of a recognized GED program or by completing a certificate of enrollment accepted by the local school district for private school enrollment or a Home Instruction program. A child whose sixth birthday occurs early in the year but who is not yet subject to enrollment in first grade under state law is considered to be in compliance. Satisfactory attendance to meet this requirement means no more than two (2) unexcused absences in any month, except for good cause and assist with verifying data. Only absences considered by the school to be unexcused will require good cause determination. The caretaker relative is responsible for providing all identifying information (social security number, date of birth, given name) to the school district in order for attendance data to be exchanged. VERIFICATION School attendance is verified monthly by computer match between the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) and the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE). An alert will be generated to the worker when a match is received for a child with 3 or more unexcused absences or if no match is received. The data is available through the Interface Inquiry Menu (INIM). An alert will continue to be received each month a child is in non-compliance. When the child is found to be in compliance following receipt of the X910, an alert will be generated to

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notify the worker the child is now in compliance. Some situations may require the worker to verify school attendance, if questionable, by sending the MDHS-EA-310, School Enrollment and Attendance Verification, to the school/school district. Such situations might include the children of families who have recently moved to the area or children in non-public school. MISSISSIPPI NON - FINANCIAL CRITERIA: SCHOOL ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS

Revised 06 - 01 - 09