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no less than every 30 days to determine if the family’s circumstances have changed and if a placement and/or supportive services are available. The state will permit participant’s the ability to claim good cause if they are unable to comply with TANF Work Program (TWP) requirements due to the emergency. TWP participants who are unable to participate in allowable work activities as a result of the emergency will be given good cause which will not affect the family’s TANF benefits due to other reasons that prevent compliance and are outside the participant's control. TWP participants who can participate in the TWP but fail to comply could face conciliation and sanction. Participants will only have to provide evidence of good cause due to the emergency to avoid the timed penalty sanction if questionable.

State Agency Collaboration and Other Initiatives

In deciding how to best use Federal TANF funds for low-income families, MDHS issues Request for Proposals (RFP) to engage businesses, faith-based groups, other state/local agencies as well as local community based organizations in developing strong collaborative relationships to serve as the vehicle for the delivery of services to 1) provide assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives, 2) end the dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work and marriage, 3) prevent and reduce out-of-wedlock pregnancies, and 4) encourage the formation and maintenance of two- parent families. Continuation and/or expansion of these initiatives are subject to availability of funding and the justification of need. MDHS may contract with public and/or private entities to provide services under TANF initiatives to assist families, end welfare dependency, and become self-sufficient. In conjunction with the above-mentioned collaborations, initiatives include, but are not limited to:

a. Child Care Enhancements To end the dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work and marriage, MDHS may provide quality, comprehensive childcare services for children in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program and income-eligible, working families at risk of going onto TANF who meet Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) eligibility. b. Responsible Parenthood Initiative To encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families and prevent and reduce out-of-wedlock pregnancies, MDHS may provide comprehensive services that support and educate parents on the importance of responsible parenthood. The program goals are to:

o increase public awareness concerning the impact of a parent’s absence, o assist parents in becoming "Team Parents" and to share the legal, financial and emotional responsibilities of parenthood with the custodial parent of their child(ren), o improve the self-image of parents and their families, o increase parents’ parental involvement in their child(ren)’s education, o improve academic performance and graduation rate and reduce the dropout rate of