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54 North Carolina

• Specialized services designed to allow Work First participants to participate in approved activities and to assist families in the transition from welfare to self- sufficiency. • Supportive and preventive services, including, but not limited to: child and family enrichment services, work-related expenses, and transportation. • Administrative costs (which may not exceed 15% of the total funds spent for purposes under Title I of the federal block grant) are defined as costs associated with office directors, policy, fiscal, budget, personnel, purchasing, legal, clerical support, and direct, indirect, and allocated costs in support of these positions. Program supervisors, program clerical staff, and support costs of program staff are services costs rather than administrative costs. The staff time spent solely on determining financial eligibility, including evaluating assets, is counted as administrative. • Automating the provisions of the law. • Child Welfare Services to encompass a broad range of services including family preservation and support, Child Protective Services, Foster Care and Adoption Services, counseling and individual and family adjustment services, in-home aide services, intake and case management, housing improvement, and other services. • Emergency services to assist with families’ sporadic emergency needs such as a utility cut-off notice or an eviction notice. • Non-assistance housing subsidy services that can help families meet their goals for self-sufficiency and allow children to be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives. • Participation services such as adult care, Work Experience, and other expenses necessary for participation in the Work First program. • Other uses that reasonably can be expected to enable families to care for children in their homes; that promote job preparation, work, and marriage; that prevent or reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies; and that encourage parents to marry and remain married. • Programs for at-risk youth that provide after school programming, mentorship, remediation, alternative education, dropout prevention, and other supportive services. • North Carolina pre-Kindergarten, early education, and other school readiness programs intended to ensure youth are prepared to enter school.

IMPLEMENTATION

North Carolina will phase in implementation, based on resources, training needed, and automation abilities. Any changes requiring modifications to the existing Client Services Data Warehouse (CSDW), Services Information System (SIS) or North Carolina Families Accessing Services through Technology (NC FAST) that support the Work First program will be delayed until the modifications can be implemented in the systems. Existing policies remain in effect until the required automation changes can be made effective or changes not requiring automation can be put into place.