KANSAS DEPARTMENT FOR CHILDREN
AND FAMILIES
Family Services
DCF Administration Building
555 S. Kansas Ave., 6th Floor
Topeka, KS 66603

To:	Regional Directors Economic and Employment Services Program Administrators Economic and Employment Services Staff Prevention and Protection Services Administrators Other Staff
Re:	Summary of Changes for Kansas Economic and Employment Services Manual (KEESM) Revision No. 93 effective May. 01, 2019

OVERVIEW OF CHANGES

A brief overview of the major changes is described below. Other clarifications and technical corrections are also included and described in the next section. Additional technical corrections not mentioned here are being incorporated in KEESM as needed.

Child Care - Role of the Resource and Referral Agencies is being updated in KEESM to reflect the current information that is in the Parent Provider Handbook. This includes adding new resource and referral information and removing outdated information.

Food Assistance – Policy is being changed for Death and Prisoner Data Matches. This revision includes a new Food Assistance Optional Release Form that has been added to the Paper Application ES-3100 and Review ES-3100r in KEESM and the Review Form sent from KEES. Applications and Reviews submitted through the SSP do not include a Food Assistance Optional Release Form.

DESCRIPTION, PURPOSE, AND DETAILS OF POLICY CHANGE

1. All Programs
   
   
   1. Changes
      
      None
      
      
   2. Clarifications
      
      
      1. Citizenship Documentation for all Programs – A reference to Appendix A-12 is being added in 2145.1. This will assist in identifying appropriate verification of citizenship.
         
         
2. Child Care
   
   
   1. Changes
      
      
      1. Termination of Child Care Plans – KEESM 7640 is being revised to define a temporary change for which a family’s child care plan must remain open for 12 months, and to update the list of circumstances when a child care plan may be terminated prior to the end of the 12 month eligibility period.   
         
         
      2. Role of Resource and Referral Agencies – KEESM 10011 is being modified to include new resource and referral phone numbers and information and remove outdated information.
         
         
   2. Clarifications
      
      None
      
      
3. Food Assistance
   
   
   1. Changes
      
      
      1. Death and Prisoner Match (Food Assistance Only) – KEESM 1436 is being changed to meet the most up to date USDA regulations on how to act on Death and Prisoner Data Matches. KEESM 1435, 1435.1, and 1435.2 are being removed and are no longer applicable for Death and Prisoner Data Matches.
         
         
   2. Clarifications
      
      
      1. Responsibility to Authorize Release of Information – KEESM 1212.4 for Food Assistance clarification is being added that Food Assistance applicants have the option to sign a release of information.
         
         
4. TANF
   
   
   1. Changes
      
      
      1. Testing Positive for Illegal Use of a Controlled Substance – At a first positive drug test, individuals will be allowed to enroll in substance abuse treatment and skills training prior to a disqualification being implemented. Only if the individual fails to complete the substance abuse treatment and/or skills training will a disqualification occur. See 2260.6 and 2260.12. This continues to be counted as a first positive test, even if the client does not serve a disqualification period.
         
         In addition, information in 2260.8 is being clarified regarding the policy for a client request for a retest.
         
         
   2. Clarifications
      
      
      1. Work Program Requirements for Applicants – Clarification is being provided in 2251 that all adults applying for TANF must sign and complete the orientation tutorial and the self-assessment for eligibility purposes.

FORMS (Explanation provided if not mentioned previously in this summary.)

All Programs

ES-3100 and ES-3100R are being updated to include the Food Assistance Optional Release of Information Form.

Food Assistance

ES-3103 and ES-3103S, Food Assistance Optional Release of Information, are being added to the Forms List.

APPENDIX (Explanation provided if not mentioned previously in this summary.)

Employment Services

The following changes were made to the Appendix section in April 2019.

E-7, E&T Self-Sufficiency Agreement, was added.

E-8 was changed to TANF Self-Sufficiency Agreement.

E-9 was changed to GOALS Self-Sufficiency Agreement.

Work Experience Procedure was changed from E-9 to E-16 so all of the Self-Sufficiency Agreement items could be collocated.

MISCELLANEOUS FORMS (Explanation provided if not mentioned previously in this summary.)

EFFECTIVE DATE

All changes are effective May 1, 2019.

EFFECT ON LOCAL STAFF (No significant effect if not explained below.)

No significant effect.

MATERIALS OBSOLETED BY THIS REVISION

COORDINATION EFFORTS

This change was coordinated with staff in Economic and Employment Services (EES), Executive leadership, and the EES Program Administrators.

Sincerely,
Sandra Kimmons, EES Director
Economic and Employment Services
SK:am