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North Carolina

43 with a total income not exceeding 200% of the federal poverty limit are limited to $600 per month up to a maximum of $1200 or 4 consecutive months in a State Fiscal Year. 9. If funding allows, Lenoir County will provide an emergency assistance payment to Safety Resource families that request assistance with providing temporary housing for WFFA children placed in their home by Child Welfare, when the permanency plan for the children is to return them to the parent’s care within 90 days. This payment is intended to help with the one-time costs of temporarily caring for a new child or children in the household. The payment to a Safety Resource family will not exceed $600 without the Director’s approval.

LINCOLN COUNTY

1. All applicants seeking cash assistance for children with an absent parent are referred to Child Support immediately after signing an application for Work First. 2. An assessment will be completed for child only cases to include but not limited to: immediate home visits and interviews with all adults and child(ren). These visits will continue at least annually with contacts at least every 6 months. 3. Benefit Diversion requirements will be as follows: able-bodied single parent and two-parent households being considered for Benefit Diversion must have employment (35 hours per week) beginning within 2 weeks of WF application. 4. Work First participants are not required to do Community Service. Instead, Work Experience is offered after 2 months of participating in Employment Services without obtaining gainful employment.

MACON COUNTY

1. To receive Work First, the children must live with an adult relative who is within a certain degree of kinship:

a. Parent, including a biological mother, father, and adoptive parent b. Legal father or mother, stepparents c. An alleged father or other alleged paternal relatives d. Spouses of these individuals also meet kinship even if the marriage has been terminated by death or divorce. e. Grandparents, great-grandparents, great-great-grandparents f. Uncles or aunts, great uncle or aunt, great-great uncle or aunt, nephew, niece, first cousin g. Brother, sister, half-brothers, half-sister, stepbrother and stepsister h. Other adults who have court ordered legal custody or legal guardianship of a child. i. Brother, sister, including half brothers and sisters

Biological parents and relatives are not eligible to receive Work First for the adopted child. This relative must be providing care for the child on a day-to-day basis and be responsible for ongoing decisions regarding the child’s well-being. A relative who meets the above relationships must be included in the case with the child, unless they are an SSI recipient receiving SSI benefits.

2. All Work First applicants will have a three month penalty imposed for quitting a job unless “good cause” is established by intake caseworker and supervisor. The ineligibility period is defined as the month of application and the next three months. The individual may reapply for Work First at any time, but are not eligible during the job quit penalty period. There is no