Arkansas Administrative Code
Agency 016 - DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
Division 20 - Division of County Operations
Rule 016.20.99-007 - Transitional Employment Assistance (TEA) Title IV - A: State Plan Section 3 and Section 6.8 - Local TEA Coalition Services

A needy family is defined as one which includes a child or children under the age of 18 years and the parent(s) or other adult relative caretaker who is living with such child(ren) and whose family income and resources are within specified limits.

Other adult relative caretaker is defined as a non-parent relative who is providing care for the child (when there is no natural parent in the home) and is in one of the following degrees of relationship to the child:

Recipients must be citizens of the United States of America, or qualified aliens lawfully present in the United States before August 23,1996, or aliens to whom public benefits must be provided by federal law.

A needy family who meets all other eligibility requirements will not be eligible to receive TEA benefits if the family includes an adult parent (or other adult relative caretaker who is included as an eligible member) who has received such assistance for twenty-four (24) months unless it is determined that the family meets one of the criteria outlined in Section 5 (Exemptions/Deferrals). The twenty-four months need not be consecutive months. The twenty-four (24) month count will begin July 1,1998.

NOTE: Services provided through the local TEA Coalitions are not considered assistance for purposes of the time limit requirement.

The adult caretaker and/or minor parent(s) of the child(ren) must sign a Personal Responsibility Agreement (PRA) as a condition of the family's eligibility when application for TEA is made and must adhere to the provisions of the PRA as a condition of continued eligibility. (See Section 8.1 for a description of the PRA.)

As a condition of the family's eligibility, the adult caretaker must agree to assign child support rights to the State. Such assignment will become effective upon receipt of cash assistance.

An individual who has been found guilty of or has pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to any state or federal offense classified as a felony by the law of the jurisdiction involved, and which has as an element of the offense, the distribution or manufacture of a controlled substance (as defined in section 102(6) of the Controlled Substances Act) will be ineligible for TEA benefits. This provision applies only to offenses occurring after July 1, 1997.

The eligibility of the other family members will not be affected by the ineligibility of a person described above. The amount of assistance for which they may be eligible will be determined without regard to the ineligible member's needs. However, if such ineligible person is the child's parent, his or her income and resources will be considered in determining the children's eligibility and amount of assistance.

In accordance with Section 16 of the Arkansas Personal Responsibility and Public Assistance Reform Act, Arkansas opts out of Section 115 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996.

An unmarried parent under the age of 18 must reside in a place of residence maintained by a parent, legal guardian, or other adult relative except in the following situations:

Local TEA Coalitions may provide services to low-income families (as defined in Section 3) for any of the following purposes:

To enable a working adult to retain employment;

To prevent a family from needing to come on to regular cash assistance;

To enhance the employability of any member of the family;

To encourage and enable any member of the family without a high school diploma or GED to obtain a diploma or equivalency.

Any other purpose deemed necessary at the local level which will address the needs of an "at-risk" family.

Services provided under this section may not include direct child care services which includes payments, vouchers, or child care services provided under contract or similar arrangements.

In addition, services under this section may not include work subsidies to employers to help cover the costs of employment or on-the-job training, or other direct financial assistance to the family except for one-time, short-term assistance. One-time, short term assistance may not be paid more than once in any twelve-month period, is paid within a thirty-day period, and covers needs that do not extend beyond a ninety-day period.

Any services provided under this section must be included in the Coalition's approved Local Implementation Plan.