The Provider must continuously engage TANF customers in countable activities until placement into unsubsidized employment to ensure that the case counts toward the federal participation rate. The Provider will incorporate one or more of the following activities for a minimum of 20 of the required 30 hours per week.

Work First Providers must ensure that the TANF customer participating in Work First is assigned to activities for the number of hours needed to earn the grant. The hours are shown on the Work Experience/Work First/Community Service Worksheet (Form 4044) provided by the FCRC. The Provider must ensure that the customer is assigned to activities for the required number of hours during the intake/assessment period.

  1. Unsubsidized Employment is full or part-time employment in the public or private sector where the employer is not subsidized by TANF or any other public program.
    • Self-employment is included as unsubsidized employment and includes, but is not limited to, farming, sales, small business, domestic work, and providing childcare.
    • This is a core activity and may be counted for 20 or more hours.
  2. Work Experience provides the customer with an opportunity to acquire general skills and work habits necessary to obtain employment. The purpose of Work Experience is to improve the employability of a customer who cannot find unsubsidized employment.
    • Customers will not be required to participate for more hours than the monthly TANF cash assistance amount plus the monthly food stamp amount divided by the state minimum wage.
    • Customers who participate for the maximum hours allowed under this calculation will have met their weekly requirement of 20 core activity hours.
    • Prep time is not allowable for this activity.
    • This is a core activity and may be counted for 20 or more hours.
  3. Community Service is a structured program of activities in which the customer performs work for the direct benefit of the community.
    • Community service programs serve a useful community purpose in the fields of health, social service, environmental facilities, public safety, and child care.
    • Community service can occur at locations such as libraries, area schools, soup kitchens, food pantries, senior citizen centers, nursing homes, hospitals, social service agencies and homeless shelters.
    • Customers will not be required to participate for more hours than the monthly TANF cash assistance amount plus the monthly food stamp amount divided by the state minimum wage.
    • Customers who participate for the maximum hours allowed under this calculation have met their weekly requirement of 20 core activity hours.
    • An agreement is needed which includes a description of how the service is of benefit to the community, a position description of the duties and expectations of the customer assigned to the activity and the responsibility for supervision, verification of attendance and report of customer progress.
    • This is a core activity and may be counted for 20 or more hours.
  4. Vocational Education Training is an organized educational program that is directly related to the preparation of an individual for a specific occupation that requires training other than a baccalaureate or advance degree.
    • Providers are not expected to engage customers in this activity.
    • Vocational education training is not countable for more than 12 months for any individual.
    • Vocational education programs are provided by vocational-technical schools, and may also include degree or certificate programs at secondary and post secondary educational institutions.
    • Customers engaged for 20/30 hours per week in one of the above activities may also participate in one of the following activities in order to bring them up to the required number of hours.
  5. Education Directly Related to Employment in the case of a customer who has not received a high school diploma or GED, means education related to a specific occupation, job or job offer.
    • This includes:
      • ABE - Adult Basic Education
      • GED
      • ESL - English as a Second Language
    • No more than 10 hours may be counted for this activity.
  6. Job Skills Training is training or education for job skills required by an employer to provide an individual with the ability to obtain employment or to advance or adapt to the changing demands of the workplace.
    • It may be customized training for a specific employer or employment;
    • Training that develops or enhances a customer's skills in the area of writing, reading, math, oral or written business communication, computer skills or new industry technology;
    • May include retention services to recently employed customers such as training on job related issues, job coaching, counseling and follow up with employers to address problems on the job.
    • No more than 10 hours may be counted for this activity.