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9 North Carolina

participation performance for North Carolina’s Work First program. There are four performance measures for North Carolina’s Work First program by which county departments of social services/agencies will be measured for compliance, pursuant to Rylan’s Law:

1. Meeting Federal Work Participation Rates for All Families. Counties must ensure that at least 50% of all Work Eligible Individuals, as defined by federal rule, complete the required number of hours of federally countable work activities.

2. Meeting Federal Work Participation Rates for Two-Parent Families. Counties must ensure that at least 90% of all two-parent families with Work Eligible Individuals, as defined by federal rule, complete the required number of hours of federally countable work activities.

3. Work First Applications Counties will process 95% of Work First applications within 45 days of receipt.

4. Work First Recertifications Counties will process 95% of Work First recertifications no later than the last day of the current recertification period.

Rylan’s Law provides North Carolina with a blueprint for collectively transforming North Carolina’s social services system and speaks to the systemic changes that are needed to improve outcomes for families and children served by social services programs statewide. This reorganization includes our shifting from the current central state supervised locally administered system structure to a model of regional supervision which provides better support, technical assistance, and compliance monitoring of social services programs and services.

PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

All services and benefits provided under the Work First program are delivered locally by county departments of social services/agencies in each of North Carolina’s 100 counties. While Electing Counties have the option to offer alternative delivery options through community services providers, the county department of social services remains ultimately responsible for service delivery.

The state office is responsible for monitoring program compliance with state and federal laws and policies. The TANF State Plan has been reviewed and informed by stakeholders from a variety of state agencies and community partners to ensure compliance with State and Federal law and the goals of the Work First program. Agencies and state partners include: the Attorney General’s Office, Department of Health and Human Services Division of Employment and Independence for People with Disabilities, Division of Child Development and Early Education, Division of Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services, North Carolina Families Accessing Services Through Technology (NC FAST), Child Support Services, Child Welfare, Fiscal Compliance