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TANF Section, WIOA Combined Plan Modifications 2026

29 Provided by a certified or licensed child care facility. • Child care facilities in the area do not have space available for the child. • Certified or licensed child care facilities, including a W-2 agency with certified or licensed on-site child care, must not be considered available if there is documentation that the facility would be harmful to the health or safety of the child. Informal Child Care: An arrangement where the child care provider is not licensed or certified. • Child care by a relative or under other arrangements is unavailable or unsuitable. Any W-2 participant can use informal child care, but a participant cannot be required to use informal child care. (See Child Care Policy Manual, Chapter 1) The FEP will work with the participant to determine what a reasonable distance is on a case- by-case level. The FEP must document the decision that is made and reason(s) in PIN comments. If the participant fails to demonstrate an inability to obtain child care, he or she may face payment reductions for nonparticipation. An inability to obtain appropriate child care may be indicative of a shortage of child care providers in the community (including sick child care, evening and weekend care, culturally competent child care, and care for disabled children) and W-2 agency management should be alerted to the problem. Chapter 11.3.3.1 Child Care Availability A single parent placed in a W-2 Employment Position cannot be sanctioned for nonparticipation in any W-2 activities during a period of time when they are unable to obtain child care for a child under the age of 13. If child care is only available to the participant during specific hours of the day or days of the week, the W-2 agency must make every effort to assign work activities during those hours. A participant who needs to secure child care arrangements in order to participate in W-2 activities should be assigned the task of securing child care as part of their participation requirements on their Employability Plan (EP). If the participant has demonstrated an inability to obtain child care, the worker must grant good cause for all nonparticipation, until: 1. Child care is obtained; or 2. The participant no longer demonstrates an inability to obtain child care. Until child care is obtained (whether good cause is being granted or not): 1. The CC activity must remain assigned on the EP;