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State of Mississippi TANF State Plan Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) States that include TANF in the Combined State Plan must outline how the State will meet the requirements of section 402 of the Social Security Act including how it will: a. Conduct a program designed to serve all political subdivisions in the State (not necessarily in a uniform manner) that provides assistance to needy families with (or expecting) children and provides parents with job preparation, work, and support services to enable them to gain necessary skills and credentials required to obtain living wage employment and leave the program, specifically cash assistance, and become self-sufficient (section 402(a)(1)(A)(i) of the Social Security Act). For the period beginning July 1, 2020, Mississippi will conduct a program designed to provide access to allowable work activities that will serve all political subdivisions (counties) in the State with emphasis on providing assistance to needy families with children and providing parents with job preparation, work, and support services to enable them to leave the program and become self- sufficient to the degree that State and local resources allow.

Program Administration The TANF Program is administered by the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS), the single State agency designated by State law for eligibility determination and spending authority. The organization is State administered with at least one full-service office for intake and client service delivery located in each county with structured supervisory and regional administrative levels. Mississippi will operate a statewide work program mandated by State law and TANF to provide work activities and supportive services (childcare, work stipend, work-related expenses, and career incentive payments) focused on enabling families to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency. In Mississippi, TANF monthly benefits and supportive service payments provided to individuals participating in allowable work activities or transitional programs are provided to the family by means of a Mississippi Debit MasterCard® card account. TANF supportive service payments issued to providers are paid by check, direct deposit, or by vouchers redeemable for services.

Mississippi will continue to provide financial assistance to needy families determined eligible under the established policies and the Standard of Need and maximum payment level for that size family. Needy Families are identified according to ongoing income, resources, and deprivation criteria. The monthly TANF grant described in Mississippi Code 1972 Annotated at 43-17-5(1), is $200 for the first person, $36 for the second person and $24 for additional persons, except as restricted by the Family Benefit Cap. A needy family is defined as a family with a dependent