3300 Activities - This section contains the general characteristics of work program activities.
Assignment to activities should be employment focused with client goals and family needs taken into consideration. Information gained from the Self-Assessment and career/skills assessments should provide the basis for collaboration between the career navigator, the client and DCF community partners or work program activity providers. With the exception of Physical Health Care activity (which includes physical and mental health) clients placed in Zero Hour activities which don’t count towards federal participation should be placed in a corresponding Primary activity such as Job Search/Job Readiness, Vocational Education or Work Experience whenever possible. See the individual activities for clarification. An individual client should never be assigned to work activities in excess of 40 hours per week.
Work program progress reviews should occur as needed, but no less than once every month. The progress review needs to document the client and the career navigator have discussed the progress made toward self-sufficiency since the last review.
3300.1 Work Activity Monitoring and Verification Requirements - Kansas employs a Sample Reporting Methodology for TANF work participation. All actual hours of work activities must be supervised, verified and documented in order to count in the work participation rate.
The case record must contain documentation of all hours of reported work participation. Paid employment must be documented by pay stubs, time cards, sign-in/sign-out sheets, rosters with recorded hours of work, or other acceptable verification.
Non-employment activities must be documented by time sheets, service provider attendance records, school attendance records, or other acceptable verification.
Internal controls ensure compliance with these procedures.
Documented supervised study time and un-supervised study time up to an hour for each hour of scheduled class time may count for work participation. The total of supervised (time spent in class) and un-supervised (time spent out of class) study time may not exceed the hours required by the educational program for successful completion of the course.
3300.2 Job Skills Training/Education Directly Related to Employment/ Attendance at Secondary School Review and Authorization Guidelines
Review Guidelines - The following review guidelines are applicable to all education/training activities:
Frequent contact with clients and adult education providers or other providers is of key importance. Monitoring of actual attendance with the provider should be obtained and documented in the case record monthly. Daily supervision is required.
The evaluation process will result in a decision regarding the continuation of the activity or any changes necessary to effectively address the clients' goals.
Support for these activities may be denied if the client does not attend classes as scheduled; or make satisfactory progress toward completing the course of study in a reasonable documented time frame based on the individual’s situation. Exceptions to this policy require supervisory approval and must be extensively documented in the case record.
Authorization Guidelines - It is necessary to authorize these activities in order to:
Provide supportive services for clients; and
Pay activity costs.
These activities require daily supervision which means daily oversight of the client’s participation, not necessarily daily in-person contact. A review of client attendance records and progress shall be made prior to approval of further supportive services.
Educational/training activities should be offered to a client if available and the assessment indicates that these activities would be appropriate. Participation in prior work program activities may provide useful information on the client's ability to succeed in these activities.
Institutions offering correspondence or On-Line Distance Learning courses must provide a method of documenting attendance and progress towards timely course completion through daily supervision.
Short-term, job-focused, and skill specific college courses are approvable, including courses directed toward an associate degree, and a Bachelor degree.
Examples of other approvable short-term job focused and skill specific training/vocational education may include:
Vocational technical curriculums such as Licensed Practical Nursing or Office Management; or
Child care provider certification.
No payments for supportive services or costs for approved activity may be issued for months prior to the month for which the activity was approved.
A determination that training is inappropriate, unrealistic, or unnecessary at any point in the process would be adequate basis to deny the training request.
The following criteria must be documented to authorize/approval training activities:
To determine current skills before approval, staff must document the results of the assessment or the results of actual participation work program activities.
Proposed training is for employment in a Demand Occupation.
Information on demand occupations is available on The Kansas Labor Information Center/High Demand Occupations. Training may be authorized for employment in non-demand occupations in thoroughly documented situations. Career navigators may consult with ES Administration, WIOA, job service staff, and/or educational facilities. ES designee approval is required for approval in non-demand occupations.
Willingness of client to re-locate if necessary.
NOTE: Plans approved by Rehabilitation Services (RS), WIOA, or the Kansas Foster Child Educational Assistance Act of Foster Care Tuition Waiver Program or the Work Force Development Loan Program may be approved activities for work program participation.