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774 Chapter 4:Working with families • Section 2: Engagement in the JOBS Program (07/2026) The following participants from the need group are JOBS-volunteers and are not subject to disqualification. If these individuals choose to engage in the JOBS program and create a plan, their participation status would remain as JOBS-volunteer. A state exemption identified with ** must be verified by a licensed or certified professional that is qualified to determine the condition or circumstance. • Participants who are pregnant and have reached the first of the calendar month prior to the month in which the due date falls; • **Participants experiencing medical complications due to pregnancy that prevent participation in activities of the program; • VISTA volunteers; • A parent who is 20 years or older during the first six months after the birth of their dependent child. ODHS may require the parent to engage in parenting classes or a family stability activity; • A parent under age 20 years old during the first sixteen weeks after the birth of their dependent child. ODHS may require the parent to participate in parenting classes, a family stability program, or an educational track if they have not completed high school, GED program, or its equivalent; • **During the seventh and eighth month of pregnancy, participants are only required to participate 10 hours a week. Verification of due date from a qualified medical professional is required. • An individual whose participation is likely to cause undue hardship or is contrary to the best interest of the dependent child or needy caretaker relative.
ODHS must determine the reason given is in fact an undue hardship and clearly document this in a ONE case note as well as a TRACS narrative. Depending on the situation, additional verification may be required. A parent with a child under six months old may volunteer for the JOBS Program and request support services. Only one parent may be a JOBS volunteer for the six months following a dependent child’s birth. For further information see OAR 461-130-0310: Participation Classifications: Exempt, Mandatory, and Volunteer. Who is considered JOBS eligible? A caretaker relative of a dependent child or unborn is considered JOBS eligible if they: • Are in the same filing group as the dependent child or unborn; and • Are not JOBS-exempt or JOBS volunteer per OAR 416-130-0310. Participants with a physical or mental health disability (see OAR 461-001-1000) are not JOBS-exempt. ODHS must consider the participant’s disability when creating a plan and the need for an appropriate accommodation to allow the participant to engage in JOBS program activities. All participants will be given the opportunity to engage in the process of determining appropriate JOBS activities that best support their family and their goals. This includes providing information and documentation to support an individual’s JOBS status. Refugees within their first 12 months in the U.S. who live in the New Arrival Employment Service (NAES) project