Code of Massachusetts Regulations
106 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF TRANSITIONAL ASSISTANCE
Title 106 CMR 703.000 - Transitional Cash Assistance Programs: Nonfinancial Eligibility
Section 703.170 - TAFDC Learnfare
Universal Citation: 106 MA Code of Regs 106.703
Current through Register 1531, September 27, 2024
(A) Requirements. A dependent child younger than 16 years old must attend school regularly.
(1)
Submission of Quarterly School Attendance Verification
(a) A grantee must verify the dependent
child's attendance at a private school, public school or an approved home
school program, unless a grantee is disabled (see
106 CMR
703.100) .
(b) Verification of the dependent child's
attendance must be submitted within 14 calendar days of the end of a school
quarter and include the number of unexcused absences in that
quarter.
(2)
Probationary Status
(a) A grantee is placed in a probationary
status when the documentation required by 106 CMR 703.170(A)(1):
1. is not submitted without good cause
(see106 CMR 703.170(A)(2)(e)); or
2. shows the dependent child had more than
eight unexcused absences in the previous school quarter.
(b) The Department will notify the school and
the grantee when the grantee is placed in probationary status. The grantee
shall have the opportunity to dispute the information concerning unexcused
absences with the Department. An absence shall be considered excused for one or
more of the following reasons:
1. illness as
certified by a physician or a written statement from the grantee if the illness
was less than five consecutive school days;
2. hospitalization certified by hospital
records;
3. a disability that would
qualify for an exemption (see
106 CMR
703.100);
4. death of a family member verified by a
death certificate or death notice;
5. religious holidays; or
6. a crisis situation as approved by the
school principal or designee.
(c) A grantee in probationary status must
submit, by the fifteenth of each month, documentation for the previous month
showing the number of unexcused absences for the dependent child.
(d) A grantee shall remain in probationary
status for six months, or until such time as the number of unexcused absences
during a rolling period of the six preceding school months is ten or less,
whichever is longer.
(e) Good cause
exists when the grantee has taken all necessary steps on his or her part to get
the documentation but the school has been unable to meet the request.
(3)
Sanctions. If the grantee is in probationary status,
the dependent child, whose unexcused absences brought about by the probationary
status, will be sanctioned, and the cash reduced by the dependent child's
portion of the grant, when the school documentation:
(a) is not submitted without good cause
(see106 CMR 703.170(A)(2)(e)); or
(b) shows the dependent child had more than
three unexcused absences during any month in the probationary period.
If the only dependent child is sanctioned, the grantee may constitute an assistance unit of one.
The Department will notify the school and the Department of Children and Families when a dependent child has been sanctioned for three consecutive months to assist in addressing the problems associated with the child's school attendance.
(B) Verifications.
(1) Verification of school attendance shall
be by a method specified by the Department. The Department may establish
procedures to obtain school verification directly from school institutions or
school districts.
(2) Verification
of the grantee's disability shall be in accordance with
106 CMR
703.100.
(3) Verification of an approved home school
program shall be a written statement from the local school authority attesting
to the approved home school program arrangement and a written statement from
the home school program provider.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Massachusetts may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google
Privacy Policy and
Terms of Service apply.