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North Carolina

7 Ensuring optimal health and well-being of all North Carolinians is of the utmost concern. Toward that end, North Carolina has taken advantage of the opportunity offered by the TANF Block Grant to enhance our efforts in this area.

The NC TANF program provided services to approximately 91,537 cases with 166, participants during the previous state plan years. Adult recipients that remain on the caseload have multiple barriers that include but are not limited to medical and mental health issues, learning disabilities, lack of skills and work experience.

Federal Fiscal Year Caseload Size # of Participants FFY 2019 21,564 39,183 FFY 2020 17,874 32,369 FFY 2021 16,485

30,954

Due to the changes in the work requirements associated with the program, low Work First benefit amounts, an increase in the job market in NC, and the Public Health Emergency, the Work First program has and continues to experience a continuous decline in individuals applying for assistance.

In accordance with federal law, TANF funds, as well as Maintenance of Efforts (MOE) funds must meet one of four purposes. The four purposes under TANF are:

1. Assist needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives; 2. Reduce dependence of needy parents by promoting job preparation, work, and/or marriage; 3. Prevent or reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies; and 4. Encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.

STATE WELFARE LEGISLATION

North Carolina General Statute 108A-27 provides for TANF program development by local county governments. The law refers to counties as Standard or Electing. Standard Counties operate the state’s Work First program based on the policies written in the Work First Manual, while Electing counties have additional flexibility in program design that allows the county to determine the county’s eligibility criteria and payment options. All counties have maximum flexibility in designing their employment programs to meet local needs. However, state law provides that Electing Counties, when combined, can contain no more than 15.5% of the state’s Work First cases. The state and each Electing County’s eligibility criteria are described later in this document. Throughout this plan, all references to “Electing counties” refer to those counties that have been approved as Electing.

STATEWIDE SOCIAL SERVICES REFORM AND WORK FIRST GOALS

Rylan’s Law (Session Law 2017-41) is state legislation enacted in July 2017 which