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North Carolina 64 4. All applicants must meet and cooperate with child support within 10 calendar days of applying for Work First. Failure to do so will result in the application being denied on the 11th day unless there is good cause. Recipients must continue to cooperate with child support ongoing or the Work First case will terminate unless there is good cause. 5. All applicants, parents, and caretakers unless otherwise specified, must complete the economic budget class with a minimum attendance time of 2 hours within 10 calendar days of applying for Work First. Failure to do so will result in the application being denied on the 11th day unless there is good cause. Attendance will not be required if the applicant has successfully completed the class with a minimum attendance time of 2 hours within 30 calendar days prior to the application date. Non-parent caretakers may be exempt from the budget class per case manager discretion. 6. If both quarterly reporting deadlines are missed without good cause there will be one (1) month of ineligibility. 7. Participants’ statement of kinship will be acceptable at review unless questionable. 8. Cases will not be re-opened unless it is an agency error. The applicant/recipient may reapply for Work First. 9. All income, with the exception of SSI income, will be counted for parents living in the home to determine Work First eligibility 10. Recipients who are no longer eligible for Work First and are then placed on Transitional Medicaid are required to continue cooperation with Child Support if the Transitional Medicaid case remains active. Failure to do so will result in Medicaid benefits terminating for the adult caretaker(s) unless good cause exists. Ongoing Medicaid will be evaluated for the child(ren) in the household. 11. School attendance – The caretaker must provide proof of school attendance for all school-age children at application and review by providing a current report card, attendance summary printout from the school or enrollment verification if a new student in the Caldwell County school system. Work First case managers verify school attendance with school social workers on a monthly basis. Therefore, it is not necessary for the case managers to call the schools when a quarterly report is received. Failure to provide proof of school attendance or verification of enrollment at review results in an incomplete review unless there is good cause. Failure to provide proof of school attendance or verification of enrollment at application results in the application being denied unless there is good cause. All income, except for SSI income, will be counted for parents living in the home to determine Work First eligibility. 12. All children in K – 8th grades cannot have more than ten (10) unexcused absences in a school grading period unless there is good cause. All children in 9th – 12th grades cannot have more than 10 unexcused cumulative class absences in a grading period unless there is good cause. More than ten (10) unexcused absences will result in a sanction of one (1) month of ineligibility or until compliance whichever is greaterall children in the household are receiving SSI benefits will not be eligible for Work First as there is no eligible child in the home. 13. Cases where all children in the household are receiving SSI benefits will not be eligible for Work First as there is no eligible child in the home. 14. Single parents may claim their “S” exemption for the first three (3) months of a child’s life. Once the 12-month lifetime exemption has been exhausted the parent will be required to participate in the employment program as soon as authorization is given from their doctor. Also, if a parent volunteers to participate in the employment program he/she may not reclaim the exemption for the same child.