Page 232

Page 232 of 233 § 10:90-5.16 TANF Initiative for Parents (TIP) Program

(d) The TIP Program services are available to certain individuals in their last trimester of pregnancy and new parents with infants from birth through 12 months of age, even if the individual has older children in the family in addition to the new infant, as follows: 1. Individuals in their third trimester of pregnancy: i. WFNJ TANF/GA individuals; and ii. Non-Public Assistance (NPA) New Jersey Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (NJ SNAP) individuals; and 2. Individuals who are new parents: i. WFNJ TANF recipients, including new TANF parents, needy parent persons, parents in child-only cases, sanctioned recipients and recipients with a capped child; ii. SSI recipients in child-only cases; and iii. NPA NJ SNAP recipients. (e) TIP Program participants who are deferred from the WFNJ work requirements in accordance with N.J.A.C. 10:90-4.10 may voluntarily take part in parenting skills services. 1. WFNJ recipients who are deferred may want to consider participating in the TIP Program as a transitional activity that will help prepare them for employment readiness and assist the recipient with balancing work activity and raising a family. (f) For TIP Program participants who are required to participate in a work activity in accordance with N.J.A.C. 10:90-4, hours spent participating in the TIP Program shall count towards the required hours of a work activity. A TIP participant may need to participate in another work activity in addition to TIP in order to fulfill his or her required number of hours. No adverse action or sanction shall be imposed on a TIP participant for non-compliance with the TIP Program. If the participant does not comply with the TIP program requirements, that individual shall be removed from TIP and placed in a different work activity. However, a sanction may result from the recipient's failure to comply with a non-TIP work activity in accordance with N.J.A.C. 10:90-4.13. 1. Participation in TIP Program services shall count towards a WFNJ recipients work activity only through the child's 12th month of age. i. TIP services provided to the participant shall not extend beyond the child's 12th month of age, except in certain situations when the in-home service provider determines, on a case-by-case basis, that continued periodic in-home or in- community visitation is necessary. 2. In order for TIP Program participation to count towards the required hours of a work activity, the participant must attend the identified parenting skills program(s) that is determined to be necessary, based on the assessed needs of the family. (g) The in-home visitation service provider shall administer a comprehensive assessment to each individual referred to the TIP Program to determine eligibility for participation.