• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

Let’s Get Back To The Basics!Virginia Department of Social Services

Spring 2019 BPRO Conference

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

2

The essential facts or principles of a subject or skill. Learning the basics of business.

Synonyms: fundamentals, essential, principles, foundations, preliminaries, groundwork, etc.

Meaning of Basics

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

3Step 1: Gather relevant Information

Step 2: Review the information

Step 3: Review Guidance

Step 4: Evaluate the information and

Guidance

Step 5: Identify the alternatives if necessary

Step 6: Take action

Step 7: Review your decision and its consequences

Decision Making

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

4201.12 FAMILY CAP PROVISION* - An additional child born during the period when a family is eligible for TANF is not eligible to have his needs included in the payment. The family cap provision applies to a child born while the family is eligible for TANF whether the parent’s needs are included in the payment or not.Once a child has been capped, he continues to be capped during any subsequent period of eligibility subject to the provisions below.

Family Cap Provision

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

5The family cap provision applies to a child born after the ten full calendar months following the month in which the initial TANF payment was issued for the case. The ten-month period is a fixed period of ten calendar months and is not affected by suspensions. For reapplications, the EW must determine if there has been a break in the receipt of TANF assistance. A new ten-month period will begin at reapplication when there has been at least a one month break in assistance prior to the date the client reapplies for TANF. If the household has continuously received TANF benefits prior to reapplication, the previous ten-month period will resume, even the benefits are prorated based on the reapplication date.

Family Cap Provision

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

6Suspended months are not captured in the Issuance Summary/Search details. It is imperative that the EW check the TANF - Eligibility Summary screen and the Issuance Summary/Search screen to determine what months should be counted when determining the cap status of a child.

Family Cap Provision

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

7Note: A one month break means no payment for a complete calendar month.

Below describes the process the VaCMS uses to determine the Capped status of a child born during the period when a family is eligible for TANF:

1. When assistance is requested for a child living with a parent, the VaCMS will check to see if the parent had a TANF case with an approved EDG for ten full consecutive months prior to the child’s birth, whether the parent’s needs were included in the payment or not.

Family Cap Provision

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

82. After running Wrap up – Run Eligibility when processing TANF applications, reapplications, add a person, etc., if the VaCMS determines that the parent received ten full consecutive months of TANF payments prior to the child’s birth, the child’s Participation Status on the TANF – EDG Summary screen will display “Excluded Child”.

Family Cap Provision

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

93. The Client Notice Reasons screen for the child will display

“Individual is a capped child”.

Family Cap Provision

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

104. Under the TANF Information field on the Client Demographics screen, the “Capped Child” field will display “Yes” and “Cap” will display in the “Do you want to Cap/uncap the child?” dropdown.

Family Cap Provision

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

115. If the VaCMS determines that a child for whom assistance is requested for is not capped, “No” will display in the “Capped Child” field after running Wrap up – Run Eligibility.

Family Cap Provision

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

126. At any point in which the EW determines that the Cap Status for the child is incorrect, action must be taken to correct the status by completing the cap questions under the TANF Information field highlighted below.

Family Cap Provision

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

13 Applicants for TANF shall receive an explanation of the family cap

provision at the time of the interview. When the application is approved, the Client Notice of Action must inform the mother of the effective date of the specified periods described in 201.12. In addition, applicants and recipients must sign and date the Notice of Personal Responsibility form. The form states that the local department has explained and that the individual understands the terms of the family cap provision. The form must be retained TANF case record and must be uploaded to DMIS.

Months in which the household receives a VIEW Transitional Payment (VTP) will not count toward the ten-month period.

Family Cap Provision Reminders

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

14 For applicants that previously received TANF payments in ADAPT,

but never in the VaCMS, the EW must always check ADAPTRO to confirm the Cap status of children for whom assistance is requested for.

The income of a Capped child is deemed unavailable to the TANF assistance unit, and therefore shall be disregarded as income and resources for the purpose of determining TANF eligibility and the payment amount.

The family cap guidance applies to adoptive parents in the same manner that it applies to biological parents except the date of entry of the interlocutory (adoption) order is the date used instead of the child's birth date when determining the child’s Cap Status. The applicant must complete an application for services at the local DCSE office if the applicant wishes to receive child support for a capped child.

Family Cap Provision Reminders

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

15 The family cap provision does not apply to foster parents

or caretaker/relatives who are not the biological or adoptive parents of the child. A child who was subject to the family cap in the home of a parent and subsequently moves into the home of a relative may be eligible for TANF, if otherwise eligible.

Absent parent details entered in the VaCMS for a child deemed capped are not transmitted to DCSE via the DCSE interface.

Family Cap Provision Reminders

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

16901.2 – A parent or caretaker/relative of a child under twelve months of age who personally provides the care for a child can receive an exemption from the VIEW program for 12 months.

Effective July 1, 2011, Virginia implemented the federal 12-month lifetime limit exemption for caring for a child under 12 months in the AU, or caring for a child under 12 months in the household, but not in the AU. Beginning with that date, an individual is eligible for no more than 12 months of the “caring for a child under 12 months” exemption in a lifetime.

Caring for a Child Under 12 Months VIEW Exemption

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

17In a double caretaker TANF assistance unit in which one parent is incapacitated, the eligibility worker must refer the other caretaker for participation unless he can provide a written doctor's statement indicating that the incapacitated caretaker is unable to care for the child under twelve months.

Note: A parent who gives birth to a child subject to the family cap provision (refer to Section 201.12) may be granted a temporary exemption of not more than six weeks after the birth of the child. This exemption status will also be used for a parent who has reached the 12-month lifetime limit for the use of the “caring for a child under 12 months” exemption and then gives birth to a child who is not capped.

Caring for a Child Under 12 Months VIEW Exemption

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

18Example: In 2016, Ms. Able used eight months of the “caring for a child under 12 months” lifetime limit exemption, with her first child. On January 5, 2018, at reapplication, Ms. Able notifies the agency that she is now caring for her newborn who is a SSI recipient. Based on receipt of SSI, the newborn is not included in the assistance unit. However, Ms. Able is eligible for the remaining four months of the “caring for a child under 12 months” lifetime limit exemption.

Caring for a Child Under 12 Months VIEW Exemption

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

19Example: Mrs. Elliston was approved for TANF for herself and 12 year old daughter in March 2019. On May 1, 2019, she calls the agency to report that she was awarded temporary custody for her neighbor’s child because she was recently incarcerated. The child is not a relative and is 6 months old. Mrs. Elliston has never used any of the caring for a child under 12 months lifetime limit exemption. Although Mrs. Elliston cannot receive TANF for the child, she can receive an exemption from the VIEW program in her TANF case based on her responsibility to provide care for the child.

Caring for a Child Under 12 Months VIEW Exemption

d

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

20 When processing a TANF intake, reapplication, or add a person in the

VaCMS that includes a child less than 12 months old, the VaCMS will search to see if the exemption was previously applied to the case name

The VaCMS applies the caring for a child under 12 months lifetime limit exemption to the case name

If the HH opts to refer someone other than the case name to VIEW, the TANF Work Requirement – Details screen should be completed to refer the correct person

Caring for a Child Under 12 Months VIEW Exemption Reminders

d

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

21 Months for which an individual received the caring for a child under

12 months exemption in the VaCMS are stored in a table that is not viewable to the worker

The EW must check ADAPTRO to verify previous months for which an individual may have received the caring for a child under 12 months exemption

As a best practice, the EW should document months used in the case narrative and/or tracking sheet

Caring for a Child Under 12 Months VIEW Exemption Reminders

D

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

22 It is imperative that the EW check the Client Notice reasons screen for

each HH member to ensure the accuracy of the individuals work participation status based on guidance

At any point the EW determines the Work Participation Status/Referral is incorrect despite the accuracy of the case entries, the EW must inform the ESW so that the referral can be closed

Caring for a Child Under 12 Months VIEW Exemption Reminders

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

23 Refer to the “Manual VIEW Referral and Prior V1 Exemption

Months” IBP in the VaCMS Help for instructions on to create manual ESP referrals for those individuals that receive the caring for a child under 12 months VIEW exemption in error

Caring for a Child Under 12 Months VIEW Exemption Reminders

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

24Thank You

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

25

Monique Majeus

Sr. Economic and Employment Consultant, TANF/VIEW

monique.majeus@dss.virginia.gov

Contact Information

• Presentation Title

• Month #, 2017

• Margaret Schultze, VDSS Commissioner

26

Cassandra Elliston

Sr. Economic and Employment Consultant, TANF/VIEW

cassandra.elliston@dss.virginia.gov

Contact Information