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North Carolina

50 • Any purpose for which the state was authorized to use funds received under Parts A and F of Title IV of the Social Security Act as they were in effect on September 30, 1995. North Carolina will continue, as it has since 1995, to provide services (including child welfare services) to at-risk children as was approved in the Title IV-A State Plan as of September 30, 1995. A description of these services is in Appendix D.

If federal TANF funds are insufficient to cover cash assistance costs in the event of economic downturns, other federal, state, and county funds may be used to meet the costs of assisting needy families. Counties can retain partial collections made on overpayments to recipients not due to agency error, including childcare overpayments.

MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT

Under state law, both the counties and the state provide Maintenance of Effort (MOE) funds. County spending is generally through the county Work First Block Grant. This block grant contains an allocation of Federal funds used for those services that meet the requirements for TANF expenditures. It also contains state and county funds that are used to meet the MOE requirements. Additional state funds for Maintenance of Effort are spent on such items as child care, state administrative costs, and automation.

In general, services provided under the first and second purposes of TANF, using TANF funds, and any of the purposes using Maintenance of Effort funds, may only be provided to families that are financially needed (i.e. with incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level). Services provided under the third and fourth purposes of TANF, using Maintenance of Efforts funds, may be provided without regard to income if the expenditures are pro-family. All other services provided for the purposes of using MOE funds are subject to incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Services may be provided to families or children who are experiencing an emergency as defined in the plan, and who do not have sufficient resources to alleviate the emergency.

MOE funds may be used for the activities listed below:

• Work First cash assistance. • Work subsidies services which include On-the-Job Training (OJT) and Subsidized Employment. For OJT, each individual county based on the circumstances locally, will determine the amount of subsidy. On-the-job training may occur in any non-profit, for profit, public or private setting. Participation in this activity offers the opportunity to learn a new trade in a supportive environment, while transitioning into a regular, unsubsidized employee status. • Educational activities intended to increase self-sufficiency, job training, and work, excluding any expenditure for public education in the state except expenditures that involve the provision of services or assistance to a member of an eligible family that is not generally available to other people. • Employment services directed toward Job Development and Placement, and Job Search and Readiness. • Subsidized childcare to assist with the cost of childcare for families with incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level and who need childcare in order to work.