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Vermont TANF State Plan Renewal October 1, 2024 through December 31, 2027 4

Special Requirements for Minor Parents and Out-of-School Youths

All minor parents must participate in their FDP activities at all times. The minor parent shall take part in case-managed support, education, and training activities. The minor parent shall attend school or an appropriate alternative education or training program. If the minor parent is not emancipated in accordance with Vermont law (12 V.S.A. §7151), the minor parent and the dependent children in the minor parent’s care must reside with a parent or in an approved living arrangement.

Youths (i.e., dependent children) 16 or 17 years old who are not attending school full-time are offered the opportunity to participate in the services component.

Participant Requirements

All participating adults, unless granted a deferral of the participant requirements, shall be required to fulfill their participant requirement when they are determined eligible for financial assistance.

Participant Activities

A participating adult may meet program participation requirements through one or a combination of work, education, training, and other activities that address the family's goals and well-being as set forth in the Reach Up statute at 33 V.S.A. § 1113(c)(see Attachment D).

Deferments

Under specified circumstances, the participant requirements may be deferred. A deferment exempts a participant from the participant requirements.

Nonengagement and Good Cause

Reach Up participants must engage with all services component requirements, including the participant requirements. Nonengagement may result in sanctions. Nonengagement supported by good cause may be excused.

Sanctions for Nonengagement with Services Component Requirements

If a participating adult, including a minor parent, does not engage with services component requirements, DCF shall impose a fiscal sanction by reducing the financial assistance grant of the sanctioned adult’s family. Minor parents’ grants are not funded with TANF funds during periods of non- engagement with TANF requirements. Out-of-school youths who fail to comply with program requirements shall have the monetary amount designated to cover their needs removed from the family’s grant.