Glossary of Common Terms and Acronyms
A | C | F | J | K | L | N | P | Q | S | T | U | W
A
Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)
AFDC was an income maintenance payment program for low-income
households who met the eligibility criteria. Wisconsin Works (W-2)
replaced the program in Wisconsin and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) nationally.
C
Caretaker Supplement (CTS) (C-Supp)
Wisconsin's CTS is a cash benefit
available to parents who are eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
payments. Caretaker Supplement is not a Medicaid benefit; it pays cash
only to eligible parents. Benefits are $250 per month for the first
eligible child and $150 per month for each additional eligible child. The Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS) administers the program.
Case Management-Caretaker of Newborn (CMC)
A custodial parent of an infant who is 12 weeks old or less and who meets the financial and
non-financial eligibility requirements for Wisconsin Works (W-2) employment positions may receive a monthly payment and will not be required to participate in an employment position unless he/she volunteers to participate. It is expected that a single parent probably could not maintain full-time employment and care for a child less than 12 weeks old at the same time. W-2 provides a placement for these single parents so they can stay at home and care for the child during the first few months of the child's life. This policy is based on the Family Medical Leave Act with the exception that the W-2 placement offers income support during the
first 12 weeks of the child's life.
Case Management Follow-up (CMF)
CMF participants are employed individuals previously assigned to a subsidized employment position.
Participants who have moved up the Wisconsin Works (W-2) ladder to unsubsidized employment are provided follow-up case management services
regardless of non-financial and financial eligibility criteria. Follow-up case management services can help participants make the necessary adjustments
to be successful in the world of work.
Case Management Minor Parent (CMM)
A custodial minor parent (under the age of 18, male or female) is eligible for case management services
regardless of meeting any living arrangement criteria, financial or non-financial eligibility requirements.
Minor parents may be provided with services and information including Wisconsin
Works (W-2) eligibility information, available child care services,
high school and school-to-work preparation, employment and financial planning, family planning services, community resources,
and eligibility for food stamps, other food and nutrition programs or Medical Assistance.
Eligibility determination for other programs will be completed according to individual program eligibility rules.
Case Management Non-Custodial Parent (CMN)
Wisconsin Works (W-2) Non-Custodial Parent case management is a voluntary program for the unemployed or underemployed. The W-2 agency may provide job search assistance and employment and training assistance as part of the case management provided to non-custodial parents
to facilitate entry into the labor market and increase capacity to make consistent child support payments for the benefit of the minor child(ren). The goal is to enable W-2 custodial parents to become self-sufficient by ensuring regular child support payments in combination with employment. In addition, it is expected that by meeting their financial obligation, non-custodial parents will also demonstrate enhanced contact with, and emotional investment in their children. In order for a CMN to be eligible for these services, s/he must be under a current child support order or in the process of having one established,
and the custodial parent must be a W-2 participant.
Case Management Pregnant-Woman (CMP)
A pregnant woman whose pregnancy is medically verified and who is both
nonfinancially and financially eligible except that she is not a custodial
parent of a dependent child, is eligible for job search assistance and case
management services provided by the Wisconsin Works (W-2) agency. Case
management services may include making the appropriate referral to access
child care or discussing employment goals for the W-2 group when the child is
over 12 weeks. When the child is born, a custodial parent may receive a
monthly payment until the child is 12 weeks old.
Case Management Services (CMS)
Unemployed individuals who have been assessed as having the capability of obtaining full-time employment may receive unsubsidized case management services as long as they continue to meet financial and non-financial eligibility criteria.
Case Management Unsubsidized Employment (CMU)
Employed individuals without barriers to full-time employment may be placed on the Unsubsidized Employment rung as long as they continue to meet financial and non-financial eligibility criteria. These individuals may benefit from receiving services geared toward retaining current employment and/or obtaining
additional skills to secure a job with increased hours, pay and/or benefits.
Children First (CF)
The non-custodial parent who has no current means of meeting a child support obligation and does not work full-time may be court ordered into the Children First program. Children First is a program that promotes the emotional and financial responsibility that a non-custodial parent has towards his/her child(ren). The program provides job search assistance, work experience, education and training opportunities, and case management services designed to enable eligible non-custodial parents to obtain and retain employment.
The CARES system is the Wisconsin statewide, automated, integrated reporting system for economic support eligibility programs as well as both eligibility and non-eligibility work programs.
Community Service Jobs (CSJ)
One of the three Wisconsin Works (W-2) employment positions. CSJs are for individuals who are not job ready. They are intended to
improve the employability of participants by providing work experience and training in the public and private sector. Successful participants in a CSJ will move into unsubsidized employment or a Trial Job (TJB). CSJs must serve a useful public purpose or be a project whose cost is partially or wholly offset by revenue generated by such projects.
F
Food Stamp Employment and Training Program (FSET)The Food Stamp Employment and Training program serves recipients of food stamp benefits. The program allows adult food stamp applicants and recipients to "register for work". FSET consists of several employment and training components intended to enable FSET participants to move promptly into unsubsidized employment.
J
Job CentersJob Centers, the delivery system for all job seeker/employer services, provide one-stop shopping for employers seeking to meet their workforce needs and for job seekers wanting career planning and job placement, advancement and training services at the local level. JobNet
JobNet is a job order and customer information system developed by the Wisconsin Job Service. It is designed to be used on a self-service basis. JobNet is the basic source of job opening information available in Job Centers and may be used by all local agencies. Through JobNet, Job Center customers obtain information on available local and statewide job openings, including the employer job requirements. In the future, JobNet will contain information about the menu of Job Center services and may allow for on-line registration for services. JobNet is available on touch screen PC workstations at Job Centers and on the Internet as well.
K
Kinship CareThe Kinship Care program provides cash payments to caretaker relatives (grandparents, aunts, uncles etc.) of minor children. This replaces the former Aid to families with Dependent Children (AFDC) grant that provided benefits to non-legally responsible relatives (NLRR). It is administered by county or tribal human/social services departments.
L
Learnfare (LF)Learnfare is a program designed to assist at-risk students ages 6-17 to maintain and/or improve school attendance. It is for children in families whose parents are in W-2 employment positions who need case management to enable the student to maintain/improve school attendance, gain a high school diploma, and break the cycle of welfare dependency.
N
Non-Legally Responsible Relative (NLRR)A caretaker who is caring for a child(ren) but does not have legal responsibility for the child(ren). Examples: aunt, grandmother, sister or brother.
P
ParticipantAn individual who participates in any component of Wisconsin Works (W-2) is considered to be a participant. Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunities Reconciliation Act (PRWORA)
Federal legislation signed in 1996 that provided the basic framework for welfare reform by creating a new capped, time-limited income support program called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). It made important changes in Federal child care funding and restricts the eligibility of legal immigrants and others for food stamps, Child Care and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.
Q
Qualified AlienThe State of Wisconsin provides benefits and services to qualified aliens without regard to the restrictions found under 8 USC 1612 and 1613. The following qualified aliens may be eligible for W-2, subject to the same eligibility determination used for citizen applicants:
- An alien lawfully admitted to the United States (U.S.) for permanent residence under the Immigration and Nationality Act;
- An alien granted asylum under section 208 of such act;
- A refugee admitted to the United States under section 207 of such act;
- An alien who has been certified as a victim of trafficking;
- An alien paroled into the United States under section 212(d)(5) of such Act;
- An alien whose deportation is being withheld under section 243(h) or 241(b)(3) of such act;
- An alien who is granted status as a Cuban and Haitian entrant, as defined in section 501(e) of the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980;
- An American Indian born in Canada who is at least 50% American Indian by blood, or born outside of the United States who is a member of a federally-recognized Indian tribe;
- An alien who has been battered or whose child has been battered;
- An alien who is granted conditional entry pursuant to section 203(a)(7)of such Act as in effect prior to April 1, 1980;
- An alien admitted to the United States as an Amerasian Immigrant, as described in section 584 of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 1988;
- An alien lawfully residing in the United States who is an honorably discharged veteran, in active duty in, or the spouse or unremarried surviving spouse (under specified circumstances) of a veteran or active member of the U.S. armed forces; or
- An alien lawfully residing in the United States who is authorized to work by the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
S
Separate State Programs (SSP)Wisconsin operates several programs in addition to the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs that are funded exclusively with state funds. These programs serve needy families that are ineligible for TANF and other low-income persons. Subsidized Employment
Employment for which the employer is reimbursed for employing and/or training the employed individual. The subsidized employment placements include the following: Trial Job (TJB), Community Service Job (CSJ), W-2 Transition (W-2T), Case Management Pregnant Women (CMP), Case Management Noncustodial Parent (CMN), and Case Management Minor Parent (CMM) Custodial Parent for an Infant (CMC). Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
A federal government income support program for aged, blind and disabled persons. The federal government distributes the checks and the monthly grant includes a state supplement.
T
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)Title I of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA). The federal block grant program that provides states with the authority and funding to create programs that provide time-limited assistance to needy families with children and promote work. Trial Job (TJB)
One of the three Wisconsin Works (W-2) employment positions provided to improve the employability of participants by providing work experience and training to assist them to move into unsubsidized employment. The W-2 subsidy for TJB participants is paid directly to the employer.
U
Unsubsidized Employment (UE)Individuals applying for Wisconsin Works (W-2) are first guided to the best available job opportunity. The W-2 agency supports the participant's efforts to secure employment through job search assistance. Once employed, participants may receive additional W-2 services to help them adjust to their new work environment and build skills that promote career advancement opportunities. Individuals in unsubsidized employment may be eligible for the state and federal Earned Income Credit, food stamps, Medicaid, child care assistance to work or attend training, and Job Access Loans. The unsubsidized employment non-payment placements include the following: Case Management Unsubsidized Employment (CMU), Case Management Follow-up (CMF) and Case Management Services (CMS).
W
Workforce Attachment and Advancement (WAA)WAA is a voluntary program for both custodial and non-custodial parents that is intended to assist in job retention and job advancement. The non-custodial parent, in order to be eligible, must have paternity for at least one child. The program provides individualized services including training, job retention, job readiness/placement and basic skills training. Note: WAA contracts ended December 31, 2003 and new funding was not authorized. Welfare-to-Work (WtW)
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients and non-custodial parents of children receiving TANF assistance benefit from the job placement, training and post-employment support services provided through the Welfare to Work program. The program objectives include job placement, job retention, increased earnings and increased child support collections. Note: The WtW grant ended January 23, 2004. Wisconsin Works (W-2)
Wisconsin's employment-based assistance program for low-income families with dependent children that replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program. Wisconsin Works (W-2) Interim Assistance
Adults who have filed an application for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and are waiting for a determination of SSI eligibility, and who meet all other W-2 eligibility requirements, will be enrolled in the W-2 Interim Assistance Program. Under this program, the participant will be placed in either a Community Service Job (CSJ) or a Transition position while the SSI eligibility decision is pending. A participant found eligible for SSI benefits will no longer be eligible for W-2 Interim Assistance. A participant who is denied SSI benefits will be transferred from the Interim Assistance Program to the W-2 program and placed in appropriate W-2 employment activities. Wisconsin Works (W-2) Placement
Within the W-2 program, an individual may be placed in up to one of ten W-2 placement types, all of which are identified by a Client Assistance for Re-employment and Economic Support (CARES) W-2 placement code (in parentheses).
- Case Management Follow-up (CMF)*
- Case Management Unsubsidized Employment (CMU)*
- Case Management Services (CMS)*
- Trial Job (TJB)
- Community Service Job (CSJ)
- W-2 Transition (W-2T)
- Case Management Pregnant Women (CMP)
- Case Management Noncustodial Parent (CMN)
- Case Management Minor Parent (CMM)
- Custodial Parent for an Infant (CMC)
A Wisconsin Works (W-2) work-readiness practice placement for individuals who are unable to perform independent, self-sustaining work, but who are able to participate in work practice or other developmental activities and training up to their abilities.