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Volume III | Chapter 9

Revised 10-01-14 Full engagement should be considered for all participants who: • do not have a high school diploma/GED; • have little or no employment skills/work history; and/or • have less than 20 months remaining on their TANF 60-month time limit counter. Participants meeting any of the criteria shown above will be required to be fully engaged to the extent possible based on their capabilities, abilities and needs, and the availability of viable work activities and resources. Full engagement will allow participants who are experiencing difficulties with other employment barriers, e.g., substance abuse, learning disabilities, undiagnosed and/or untreated mental illnesses, domestic violence issues, homelessness, or physical disabilities needing treatment an opportunity to reach their full potential by gaining the greatest level of selfsufficiency possible within the time constraints imposed by TANF regulations. Work activity assignments may include a combination of core and noncore activities that will allow the participant the opportunity to meet participation and other non-countable activities deemed necessary and appropriate. Participants who fail to meet the requirements of their EDP will be subject to adverse action policy and procedures and the appropriate TWP timed penalty will be applied, if good cause cannot be substantiated. Refer to Volume III, Chapter 9, Satisfactory Participation in the TANF Work Program, for additional and more detailed information. Satisfactory Participation for Participation Rate Calculation In any reporting period, the minimum number of hours that an individual must participate to count in the State’s participation rate calculation is 20 hours per week for a single custodial parent or caretaker caring for a child under age six (6), 30 hours per week for a single custodial parent whose youngest child is age six (6) or older and a total of at least 55 hours per week for a two- parent household. If a two-parent family is receiving federally-funded child care assistance and one adult in the family is not disabled (JB) or is not a parent caring for a severely disabled child (JC), i.e., both parents are able bodied adults, then the parents must participate a total of at least 55 hours per week. The parents may share in the work activities, e.g., one parent may participate for a total of 35 hours and the second parent 20 hours. One parent should not be assigned more than 40 hours per week. If one parent meets a work exemption (JK or JJ), the required work hours for the other parent are reduced to 35 hours per week.

9301 [PROGRAM COMPONENTS: SATISFACTORY

MISSISSIPPI PARTICIPATION IN THE TANF WORK PROGRAM]