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History for TEA Policy - 3600 Section
3600 Welfare-to-Work (WtW) Grant Program
TEA Manual 05/01/1998 3601 Background and General Description of Program

On August 5, 1997, the President signed the Balanced Budget Act 0f 1997. This legislation amended certain Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF) provisions of the Social Security Act and authorized the Secretary of Labor to provide Welfare-to-Work (WtW) grants to States and local communities for employment assistance to move the hard-to-employ TANF welfare recipients into unsubsidized jobs and economic self-sufficiency.

The objective of the WtW grant program is to provide additional resources to target hard-to-employ welfare clients and non-custodial parents within the State. The WtW legislation specifically includes certain non-custodial parents of TANF minor children. A non-custodial parent means a parent who is absent from the TEA child’s household. (See TEA 3621 for more information regarding non-custodial parents.)

WtW activities must be coordinated with those undertaken through TANF. The WtW regulations provide the States and local governments with broad discretion to design and implement programs that meet the needs of the hard-to-employ clients in the individual States.

Although the WtW program is a part of the Arkansas TEA State Plan, the Employment Security Department (ESD) is the administrative agency for the WtW program. The State WtW grant funds are funneled through ESD from the Department of Labor to the local Service Delivery Area (SDA). At the local level, the Private Industry Council (PIC) administers the funds. However, because the WtW program is specifically for TANF families, close coordination and collaboration between the County DHS office and the local PIC is necessary for a successful program. The procedures described in the following sections are intended to be used as a basis on which to build an effective and coordinated WtW process at the local level.
TEA Manual 05/01/1998 3610 Hard-to-Employ Provision (70% Group)

The WtW regulations mandate that 70% of the funds be spent on participants who are classified as hard-to-employ individuals. The law establishes three different categories of participants who may be served under the 70% provision. In order to participate in the WtW program in the 70% group, a participant must meet one of the following categories.

Category One - An individual must meet each of the following three eligibility criteria:
  1. Is a current TEA recipient.
  2. Must have at least two of the three following barriers to employment:
  1. Has not completed high school or obtained a certificate of general equivalency, and has low skills in reading or mathematics (below grade level 10);
  2. Requires substance abuse treatment for employment (as determined through the employment planning process); or
  3. Has a poor work history. NOTE: Poor work history is defined as having worked no more than three consecutive months in the last 12 calendar months.
  1. Has received cash assistance (TANF or AFDC, including assistance from another state) for at least 30 months, or will become ineligible for TEA assistance within 12 months.

Category Two - Non-Custodial Parent. (For more information refer to policy 3621).

Both of the following must be met:

  1. The individual is a non-custodial parent of a TEA minor child.
  2. The custodial parent of the child meets the three criteria of category one.

Category Three - The individual must meet both of the following criteria:

  1. Is no longer receiving TEA assistance because (s)he has reached his or her lifetime limit on receipt of assistance.
  2. Has at least two of the following employment barriers:
  1. No high school diploma or GED and has tested below the 10th grade level in math or reading.
  2. Requires substance abuse treatment for employment.
  3. Has a poor work history (employed no more than 3 consecutive months out of the last 12 months)
TEA Manual 7/1/00

05/01/1998

 3615 Long-Term Dependence Characteristics (30% Group)

The WtW regulations mandate that no more than 30% of the funds be spent on participants who have long-term welfare dependence characteristics. An individual is eligible in the 30% group if he or she meets the following categories.

An individual must meet at least one of the following eligibility criteria:
  1. Is a current TEA recipient and has a characteristic associated with long-term welfare dependence such as:
  • has dropped out of school; or
  • has had a recent teenage pregnancy; or
  • has a poor work history (NOTE: Poor work history is defined as having worked no more that three consecutive months on the last 12 calendar months.); or
  • has significant barriers to self-sufficiency, as determined by the local DHS County Office, the WtW agency or the Workforce Investment Board as a long-term dependence characteristic.
  1. An individual between the ages of 18 and 25 who received foster care maintenance payments at anytime prior to reaching age 18, or was in foster care under the responsibility of a State.
TEA Manual 05/01/1998 3615 Long-Term Dependence Characteristics (30% Group)

The WtW regulations mandate that 30% of the funds be spent on participants who have long-term welfare dependence characteristics. An individual is eligible in the 30% group if he or she meets any one of the following categories.

Category One - An individual must meet both of the following eligibility criteria:
  1. Is a current TEA recipient.
  2. Has a characteristic associated with long-term welfare dependence such as: has dropped out of school; has had a recent teenage pregnancy; has a poor work history (same definition as in the 70% group); or has other characteristics determined at the local level to be a long-term dependence characteristic. (The WtW agency and the DHS office should work together to determine any such characteristics.)

Category Two - Non-Custodial Parent (For more information see TEA 3621)

Both of the following must be met:

  1. The individual is a non-custodial parent of a TEA minor child.
  2. The child’s custodial parent meets the WtW criteria of Category One.

Category Three - The individual must meet the following two requirements:

  1. Has reached his or her time limit on receipt of TEA assistance.
  2. Has a characteristic associated with long-term welfare dependence as described under Category One.
TEA Manual 05/01/1998 3620 Welfare-to-Work Referral Process

Only individuals who meet the WtW Eligibility Criteria will be referred to the local Private Industry Council (PIC) for WtW services. TEA recipients who meet one of the categories under TEA 3610 or TEA 3615 will be considered as appropriate referrals for WtW services. The TEA Worker will be responsible for determining which TEA recipients are referred for WtW services.

Each DHS County Office should coordinate with the local WtW agency to establish a referral process that will meet each agency’s needs. The referral process must include the use of Form DCO-1425 (Referral) and DCO-1426 (Certification). Beyond the use of these forms, however, any other referral and turnaround procedures are at local discretion.

Referrals for WtW services for TEA recipients will be made by completing form DCO-1425 and any other documents agreed upon locally. In addition, the WtW Eligibility Certification form (DCO-1426) will be attached to the referral form. An Employability Assessment and Educational Assessment will be conducted on each TEA WtW client prior to referral for WtW services and copies of those assessments will be attached to the DCO-1426. If the TEA case contains an assessment that was completed within the last six (6) months, then no new assessment will be needed. Any other employment related information already obtained at the time of referral, such as copies of, the Skills Assessment, Employment Plan, Description of Supportive Services Provided/Arranged, or other information (e.g. latest narrative entry, EPU, etc.) will also be attached. 

NOTE: Some referrals may not have an Employment Plan since a WtW referral may be made before an Employment Plan is completed.

The WtW agency will use Section IV of Form DCO-1425 to report information regarding WtW activity to the DHS County Office.
TEA Manual 07/01/1998 3621 Non-Custodial Parents

The non-custodial parent will be referred for WtW services by the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE). Since the non-custodial parent’s WtW eligibility is dependent upon the custodial parent’s characteristics, the DHS County Office must make the WtW determination.

The OCSE will request a WtW determination on a non-custodial parent via the OCSE Welfare-to-Work Eligibility/Referral form. Upon receipt of this form from OCSE, the worker will determine a non-custodial parent’s WtW eligibility. If eligible, the worker will complete the DCO-1426 and Section II of the OCSE referral form. A copy of the DCO-1426 and referral form will be retained by DHS while the original DCO-1426 and referral form will be returned to the local OCSE agency. If the person is not eligible, the worker will so notify OCSE in Section II of the referral form. A copy of the referral form and the DCO-1426, if completed, should be filed in the corresponding TEA case record.

NOTE: The DHS worker’s only involvement with the non-custodial parent will be the completion of the DCO-1426. The DCO-1426, Certification Form will not be given to the non-custodial parent, but will be sent directly to the WtW agency. WtW will report all non-custodial participation and non-compliance information directly to OCSE.
TEA Manual 05/01/1998 3625 Welfare-to-Work Activities

Allowable activities under WtW include the following:

  1. Employment (Unsubsidized and Subsidized)
  2. Community Service Programs
  3. Work Experience Programs
  4. Public or Private Sector Wage Subsidy Job Creation
  5. On-the-Job Training
  6. Job Placement
  7. Job Readiness

Some supportive services (e.g. transportation assistance, child care assistance, substance abuse treatment, etc.) are also available through WtW when otherwise not available. However, if such supportive services are available using TEA funds, the TEA Worker will authorize such services. NOTE: TEA funds may be used to pay for supportive services for TEA recipient WtW clients but not for non-custodial parents.

Post Employment Services are available under WtW for individuals who have entered employment. The purpose of Post Employment service is to help individuals maintain and/or enhance their employment. Services available may include,

  • Basic education,
  • English as a second language,
  • Occupational skills training, and
  • Mentoring.

Education and training activities are available only as Post Employment Services.
TEA Manual 05/01/1998 3630 Welfare-to-Work Participation

The DHS County Office should ensure that the local WtW agency is aware of the minimum participation requirements for TEA.

When a TEA recipient is engaged in WtW activities, the worker should report the recipient in a TEA activity (e.g. OJT, Work Experience, Subsidized Employment) that appropriately reflects the services being provided by the WtW agency.
TEA Manual 05/01/1998 3635 Follow-up and Monitoring of Participation Activities

Once enrolled by the local WtW agency, DHS will assume that the client is participating satisfactorily unless notified by the WtW agency that the client is not complying. Follow-up and monitoring procedures will be developed by the local DHS County Office and the local WtW agency.
TEA Manual 05/01/1998 3640 Non-Compliance

Non-compliance by a TEA participant will be reported by the WtW agency to the local DHS office. Once failure to comply has been reported, DHS will contact the client to give him or her an opportunity to explain why he or she failed to comply and make a determination of good cause, if appropriate. The procedures outlined in will be followed for TEA clients who are referred to WtW and fail to comply with program activities.

NOTE: Non-compliance by a non-custodial parent will be handled by the WtW agency and OCSE.