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North Carolina

39 APPENDIX D LOCAL BLOCK GRANT PLANS

In general, Electing Counties and Standard Counties have the same level of flexibility in designing their employment services programs to meet the federal participation rates and statewide Work First goals while addressing local circumstances. However, Electing Counties also have the opportunity to establish their own eligibility criteria and benefit levels.

In August 2014, seven (7) counties notified the Department of their desire to be designated as Electing Counties. The Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services, recommends that the following counties be designated as Electing Counties for the next triennium: Beaufort, Caldwell, Catawba, Lenoir, Lincoln, Macon, and Wilson.

The Department has the responsibility to ensure that the Work First program in all counties complies with federal and State law and the Work First goals. Under State Law, Electing Counties’ caseloads combined cannot exceed 15.5% of the Work First caseload on September 1 of each year.

Representatives from the following agencies of state government reviewed all of the Electing County plans: Division of Social Services, Local Business Liaison Office and the Attorney General’s Office. Reviewers returned written comments to the Economic and Family Services Section of the Division of Social Services. Feedback from these reviewers was shared with the Electing Counties and revisions were requested as needed.

Because the caseloads of the counties requesting Electing status, in aggregate, are well below the 15.5% minimum (5.5%), it was not necessary to rank the plans for choosing the best plans to recommend. With the requested revisions, the plans for Beaufort, Caldwell, Catawba, Lenoir, Lincoln, Macon, and Wilson will comply with applicable laws, rules, and regulations. All counties will be recommended to the General Assembly to be approved as an Electing County.

State law (NCGS 108A-27 e) requires that a county that desires to be re-designated shall submit a request in writing to the Department at least six months prior to the effective date of the next State Plan. The six-month deadline for the current proposed State Plan is April 1, 2016.

Funding for all counties is specified in the State law. For Electing Counties, block grants are based on the percentage of each county’s total AFDC and JOBS expenditures to statewide actual expenditures in 1995-96. For cash assistance, the resulting percentage is applied to the total budgeted funds for cash assistance for each year.

Electing Counties’ eligibility criteria and processes, where available, are described on the following pages. Many Electing Counties chose to follow some of the Standard County rules. When and if Electing County rules change to be the same as those of Standard Counties, no State Plan amendment will be submitted. If changes other than to conform to Standard County rules are made, an amended State Plan will be submitted.

Electing Counties will follow Standard Work First Policy, except as indicated on the following pages. Each Electing County’s electing policies are listed below by county.