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2. NEEDY FAMILIES Nevada administers a program that serves all political subdivisions in the State in a uniform manner, provides benefits to needy families with – or expecting – children, and provides parents and needy relative caregivers with job preparation, education, work opportunities and support services; enabling them to enter or remain in the workforce and reduce or eliminate their dependence on public assistance. 2.1 Assistance Defined Nevada’s TANF program recognizes family situations vary and the approach for meeting immediate and ongoing needs differs from one family to the next. Each TANF request, via a signed application, will be evaluated for each TANF category. While a family may meet the qualifications for more than one category, the family has the final decision on which category of assistance it wishes to receive. “Assistance” is defined as cash payments, vouchers, and other forms of benefits provided to cover a family’s ongoing basic needs such as shelter, utilities, food, clothing, etc. It includes childcare, transportation and other supports for families that are not employed. Excluded from the definition of assistance are the following: • Child care, transportation and support services to meet work-related expenses for employed families – even if combined with training and other activities, or during times of temporary unemployment. • Services and activities without a monetary value, e.g., domestic violence, mental health, substance abuse and other counseling; employment and training including books and tuition, information and referrals; work subsidies to employers; job retention/advancement services, etc. • Non-recurrent short-term benefits for up to 4 months of future needs – with no limitation on retrospective needs. This is not limited to one payment if needed again for a different discrete need. • Contributions to and distribution from an Individual Development Account (IDA). • Transportation benefits from a Job Access or Reverse Commute project. 2.2 Nevada’s Assistance Programs TANF – NEON: The New Employees of Nevada (NEON) program is an assistance program for households with at least one work-eligible individual. This program provides a cash assistance benefit, case management, and support services to address barriers to employment and family wellness; and services to assist work-eligible individuals attain the education, job skills and experience necessary to obtain and maintain gainful employment. TANF Child-Only: Designed for households that do not have a work-eligible individual. Categories include non-needy caregivers, kinship care, ineligible non- citizen adult(s) with eligible children, and households where the parent is an SSI recipient. Child-only programs provide a cash assistance benefit.