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TANF POLICY MANUAL
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Community service is an activity for participants who cannot otherwise obtain employment and need to increase their employability by improving interpersonal skills, job retention skills, stress management, and job problem solving, and by learning to attain a balance between job and personal responsibilities. South Carolina will take into account, to the extent possible, the prior training, experience, and skills of a recipient in making appropriate community service assignments.
Community Service Programs fall under FLSA guidelines and must be limited to projects that serve a useful community purpose and provide a direct benefit to the community.
South Carolina may use any of the following types of entities for Community Services placements. This is not an all-inclusive list; many other opportunities may exist locally.
1. Health 2. Social service 3. Environmental protection 4. Education 5. Urban and rural redevelopment 6. Welfare, recreation 7. Public facilities 8. Public safety 9. Child Care
Self-initiated Community Services Programs provide a direct community service and improve the recipient’s employability. Self-initiated Community Service
Programs that are allowable and meet this definition:
a. Student teaching b. Student nursing c. Internship or practicum for participants enrolled in higher education d. Court Ordered Community Service Placements
These self-initiated activities are not subject to FLSA, therefore the WTA workbook is not required.
A. Countable hours Actual hours of participation in a Community Service Program will be countable. Hours will be verified biweekly by an on-site supervisor.
Community service providers and program participants report actual hours of participation on individual time sheets and activity logs that report hours of participation for every day of every week in each month. A participant engaged in a community service program is subject to the Fair Labor