This credit provides a supplement to the wages and self-employment income of lower-income workers with children living with them. Under the Wisconsin program, persons may be eligible to receive the tax credit if they or their spouse worked full or part-time during the tax year, had at least one qualifying child, were a full-year resident of Wisconsin, and qualified for the federal EIC. The state credit is calculated as a percentage of the federal credit as follows: four percent for families with one child; 14 percent for families with two children; and 43 percent for families with three or more children.

Department of Workforce Development

As delineated in the preamble to the final Federal TANF Regulations, many factors contribute to poverty and dependency, and solutions to these problems should not be "one size fits all." The system should allow States and localities to develop diverse and creative responses to their own problems. Wisconsin has taken this opportunity provided under TANF to partner with communities and other organizations to serve families in new, more creative, and more effective ways. The following programs are part of the State's TANF program and are funded with either co-mingled TANF and state funds or segregated funds.

Child Support Pass-Through
Cooperation with the child support agency is a requirement for receipt of W-2 services. Wisconsin has been given authority to operate a Child Support Demonstration waiver project to pass collected child support directly to W-2 participants. Under W-2, individuals participating in an employment position will receive all or a portion of the current child support money collected each month, depending on their random group assignment. W-2 applicants are assigned to one of three groups: control, experimental or non-experimental. Participants assigned to the experimental and non-experimental groups will directly receive all current child support collected on their behalf. Participants in the control group will receive up to $50 or the state share of the child support collected, whichever is greater. Child support received by the family is used to determine initial eligibility for W-2, but once a family is found eligible, it does not affect W-2 payments. The state share of the amounts passed through to W-2 recipients will be included in Wisconsin's Maintenance of Effort (MOE) calculation.

Burials
Funding is available when a W-2 participant (individuals placed in W-2 work training placements, custodial parents of infants, and W-2 group members) dies and the estate of the deceased recipient is insufficient to pay the funeral, burial and cemetery expenses of the deceased recipient. The lesser of $1,000 or the cemetery expenses that are not paid by the estate of the deceased and other persons and the lesser of $1,000 or the funeral and burial expenses not paid by the estate of the deceased and other persons may be paid. No payment is made for funeral and burial expenses if the costs for funeral and burial expenses exceed $3,500. No payment is made for cemetery expenses if the costs for cemetery expenses exceed $3,500 [s. 49.30, Stats.]. Costs for these burials will be paid with segregated state funding, which Wisconsin will include in its MOE calculation.

Partnership for Full Employment (PFE)
The PFE is a service delivery concept which provides comprehensive services to eligible persons to find and retain employment in order to achieve self-sufficiency and reduce dependency on public assistance. This service delivery concept provides the structure within which W-2 is operated in Wisconsin. It emphasizes coordination and collaboration with other available employment related programs and services to assist W-2 participants and applicants in achieving self-sufficiency. Services are provided to individuals before they make formal application for public assistance so that they can be diverted to employment, while the individual is receiving public assistance, and following job placement to ensure the successful transition from welfare to work and employment retention. Services are also provided to employers to create appropriate employment opportunities for low income families, to facilitate job retention by eligible persons, and to otherwise enable the effective participation of low income persons in the workforce. These services are consistent with the goal of the Act under section 401(a)(2) to "end the dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work, and marriage."

The PFE provides a range of services from "light" to "intensive" depending on the needs of the client. It is anticipated that the most intensive, and thus the most expensive, services will be provided to W-2 eligible individuals. The most important advantage that the PFE offers these individuals is equal access with other job seekers to potential employers. Candidates are presented to employers with no distinction between W-2 eligible and non-W-2 eligible job seekers.

Human Services
Wisconsin received federal approval in the FFY 1995 JOBS Supportive Service Plan to include human service expenditures made on behalf of AFDC recipients as eligible for federal reimbursement. Services listed in the Supportive Services plan include child care; family preservation services; and AODA and mental health services not covered under the Medicaid program. The costs of the services which are associated with the assignment of non-medical alcohol and drug abuse activities and mental health services to enable participation in the W-2 program and obtain and/or maintain successful employment, are not covered by Medicaid. To the extent local agencies identify non-federal resources spent on TANF-eligible individuals, Wisconsin will include these amounts in its MOE calculation.

Child Care
Wisconsin provides child care subsidies to families whose income is less than 165 percent of the FPL regardless of whether they are or have been on welfare. Beginning in March 2000, initial income eligibility increased to 185 percent of FPL. Families may remain eligible with income up to 200 percent of the FPL. There are no time limits for family eligibility and parents in W-2 child care have the option of selecting a child care provider from a wide variety of choices. Eligibility for child care is determined by W-2 agencies.

In addition to using the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) and state general purpose revenues, Wisconsin plans to use federal TANF funds to pay for child care for participants in W-2. Wisconsin plans to transfer at least 20 percent of the TANF block grant to the CCDF as allowed under PRWORA.

Paternity Acknowledgment through Hospitals (PATH)
The state uses TANF funds to provide funding for the hospital-based paternity establishment program for the purposes of coordinating and consolidating efforts to procure child support from non-custodial parents, and to promote co-responsibility for the child.

The PATH program provides a $20 financial incentive to hospitals who file the voluntary paternity establishment form with the state registrar within 60 days after the child's birth. The financial incentive is meant to offset the costs to the hospital of having appropriately trained staff explain the acknowledgment process, assist parents in completing the form, provide notary services and obtain cooperation from the non-married parents of the child.

The current hospital based paternity establishment program requires that the party that files the birth certificate must give the mother information regarding how to add the name of the father to the birth certificate through voluntary paternity acknowledgment or paternity action (provided that the parents were never married), the legal and medical significance of having the father's name on this document and the alternatives to the acknowledgment process.

The filing party must also give the mother a copy of the form that establishes voluntary acknowledgment of paternity. If the form is completed while the mother is a patient and within five days after the birth, this form is sent by the filing party directly to the state registrar. Once the form is filed with Vital Records, it is enforceable as a legal judgment and provides a conclusive determination of paternity. Use of TANF funds to support this program furthers the goals of paternity establishment, family responsibility and family formation.

The Milwaukee Jobs Initiative
The Milwaukee Jobs Initiative project is a partnership model, working with employers, central city residents, community-based organizations, government and public and private training institutions to connect unemployed and underemployed central city residents with permanent, family-supporting employment. These residents are being trained in soft and hard skills to prepare them for identified employment opportunities. The goal is not only to connect people to entry-level positions, but also to keep them employed and to provide opportunity for advancement within the firms that hire them or the industry of which those firms are a part.

The Milwaukee Jobs Initiative is receiving TANF funding to provide placement services to TANF-eligible individuals for employment. Milwaukee Jobs Initiative will also work cooperatively and collaboratively with local W-2 agencies, Job Centers, other contractors of the DWD and other appropriate employment programs to promote the hiring and employment of TANF-eligible individuals in the Milwaukee area.

The central city of Milwaukee has the highest concentration of Wisconsin's W-2 recipients. The primary focus of this initiative will be to move a substantial number of those recipients into full-time, permanent employment. Tailoring training to existing jobs within the community fulfills the needs of central city employers while achieving the goal of W-2 recipients to find family-supporting employment and end dependence on welfare benefits.

Wisconsin's TANF funds assist the project in meeting its long-term goals of improving the life chances of disadvantaged children and families and enhancing the economic health of their community. Providing training and good job opportunities within the central city will divert many families from dependency on public welfare to economic self-sufficiency.

Employment Transportation Program and Job Ride
Reliable, affordable and efficient transportation is critical to self-sufficiency. Wisconsin has made it a priority to work with job seekers, employers and local service providers to address transportation needs for low-income families. Employment and training staff (W-2 agencies, Job Centers, other local partners) work closely with Community Steering Committees, Children's Services Networks, existing transportation service providers, Regional Planning Commissions, Metropolitan Planning Organizations and employers to collaborate on how to maximize the use of existing resources and meet the employment transportation needs of their community.

W-2 agencies use innovative methods to meet participant transportation needs such as arranging van pools, setting up volunteer driver programs, accessing loan resources for personal vehicle purchase and repair, encouraging employer-based transportation programs, expanding transit hours and service areas and hiring transportation coordinators. These programs are available to people who are enrolled in a component of the W-2 program and are generally offered on an individual basis.

DWD also operates the Job Ride Program in Milwaukee County. This reverse commute vanpool program provides transportation assistance to low income, central city workers trying to access suburban jobs. The employers targeted are not currently accessible by public transportation or other means of regularly scheduled transit. Many inner city residents who have lost employment opportunities have found it difficult to reach areas where jobs are being created (suburbs) and will have a better opportunity to obtain and retain employment with this transportation program. This program is funded primarily with state dollars, though DWD has set-aside some TANF dollars to help expand the program the last several years. The expansion allows the program to increase the focus on low income workers and expand access to additional employers. TANF expansion of this program will continue in 2000.

DWD has created a joint grant program with the Department of Transportation (DOT), called the Wisconsin Employment Transportation Assistance Program (WETAP), to use those TANF funds along with local dollars and some DOT dollars to draw down Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) dollars from the Federal Transit Administration. This has allowed Wisconsin to maximize resources and encourage even greater coordination and collaboration among local providers. The objectives of the program are to help low income individuals and families obtain, retain, and advance in employment. All transportation activities are eligible, but they must be based on needs assessment and local planning.

The grant program began April 1, 2000. Local agencies, authorities, non-profits, and tribal governing agencies are eligible to apply and local collaboration between all interested parties is required for needs assessment, plan development, and local implementation. Applicants are required to demonstrate a quantifiable need for assistance and develop a detailed action plan to serve the TANF population. The plan requires input from employers and potential participants.

Because there are a mix of funding sources, eligibility criteria are varied which allows for increased flexibility at the local level. With regard to the TANF dollars, all current and potential W-2 participants, food stamp recipients and others receiving supportive services, whose gross income is at or below 200 percent of the FPL, are eligible for assistance. WETAP further enhances the strong commitment Wisconsin has made to helping low income families overcome the employment transportation barrier.

Wisconsin Conservation Corps
Wisconsin uses TANF funds to help pay for a liaison between the Wisconsin Conservation Corps (WCC) and W-2 agencies and a portion of the administrative overhead related to serving TANF participants. The WCC annually hires 18 to 24 year-old custodial and non-custodial parents to complete conservation, public works and human service projects, while giving corps members work experience and work skills. WCC has used resources from this contract to establish a strong working relationship with W-2 agencies. This working relationship has made WCC a ready referral site for individuals diverted from cash benefits. FSET funds and WCC match dollars form the rest of the project's funding.

Development Zones Coordination
The DWD funds 50 percent of an agreement with the Department of Commerce to help employers in Development Zones and Enterprise Zones identify and hire TANF and FSET eligible individuals. The Department of Commerce is providing the other 50 percent of the funding. The Development Zone Program is a tax benefit initiative designed to encourage private investment and to improve both the quality and quantity of employment opportunities. Eighteen Wisconsin development zones, in rural areas and large cities, have been established for seven years and up to three one-year extensions may be granted. The employers earn tax credits on the basis of hiring individuals from target groups that include TANF and FSET eligible individuals. The benefit to the individuals hired is access to career-path positions in private businesses. DWD provides 50 percent funding for two staff positions to help employers locate and work with the appropriate W-2 and other employment and training programs to meet their needs. They also educate employers regarding various work programs and tax incentives.

State Employment Options Program
This program, administered in coordination with the Department of Employment Relations, provides workshops and videos to individuals in W-2 and other work programs, instructing them in the process of obtaining employment with the State of Wisconsin. In addition, the state contracts with the Dane County Private Industry Council whereby the state contracts for the services of three state employment specialists who create CSJ, W-2 T, Limited Term Employment (LTE), contract and permanent state job opportunities in all of the state agencies and have cooperative working agreements with sixteen of the largest state agencies.

Workforce and Economic Development Initiative (WEDI)
The Department is currently developing an agreement with the Department of Commerce to fund portions of WEDI - a cluster of programs that includes child care development, business expansion to create jobs for W-2 workers, entrepreneurship support, and training for employers to help them retain entry-level workers, including those from the welfare reform programs. Funding sources for this agreement include TANF, Child Care Development Fund and Commerce's Community Development Block Grant. More specifically, WEDI proposes to:

• provide grants to businesses to execute feasibility studies and start-up plans for employer-based child care;
• collaborate between W-2 agencies/Job Centers and Commerce staff to tie some of Commerce's business expansion funds to the W-2 labor pool and to increase the extent to which Commerce markets W-2 participants to its contacts in the business community;
• provide training for businesses on employment practices that promote successful hiring and retention of W-2 programs; and
• provide resources for W-2 clients and agencies on entrepreneurship, including training for FEPs, Resource Specialists and Job Center staff on self-employment strategies and resources, technical assistance to W-2 Community Steering Committees on entrepreneurship and economic development, and updates to the universal menu of services to include economic development resources for any Job Center user.

Workforce Attachment and Advancement
The Workforce Attachment and Advancement (WAA) program provides funding to W-2 agencies and Workforce Development Boards (WDBs) to develop innovative employment retention and advancement strategies for the TANF eligible population.

Through WAA, W-2 agencies and WDBs will work collaboratively with employers, training providers, educational institutions, organized labor and other partners in the employment and training services delivery system to provide a variety of services tailored to the needs of their local communities. The primary objective of the program is to promote upward mobility through training that prepares persons for higher-paying employment.

The WAA funds will serve the TANF-eligible population of low-income families under 200% of poverty and noncustodial parents of low-income children. In addition, the funds may be used to provide services to employers to assist with retention and advancement of the TANF-eligible population. Agencies receiving WAA funds are expected to seek extensive input from local stakeholders on what services will be provided under the program. While the local W-2 agency and WDB allocations are made in two separate funding tracks, services under the WAA will be delivered in an integrated manner.

To receive funding, each W-2 agency and WDB was required to submit a plan by January 15, 2000, for approval by the Department. Each plan includes a program description, local planning process, outreach and enrollment strategies, target populations, performance outcomes, and scope of work. Local W-2 agencies and WDBs had the option to submit separate, joint or combined plans.

Community Youth Grants
The Department will fund Community Youth Grants to provide services that improve the social, academic and employment skills of low income, TANF eligible youth, from 5'18 years of age, whose family income does not exceed 200 percent of the FPL. Community Youth Grants will be used to expand existing innovative programs or develop and implement new approaches that address the specific needs of low income youth. The funding will target programs that allow the youth to participate in individual and group activities in a safe environment. Through these activities, the programs will seek to improve social, academic and employment skills and strengthen relationships between youth and their parents, schools and neighborhoods.

The grants will be distributed to local agencies which will administer programs in their neighborhoods or communities. Under Wisconsin statutes, seven organizations were targeted to receive Community Youth Grant funding. These include the Wisconsin chapters of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the Silver Spring Neighborhood Association, the Safe and Sound Initiative in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Good Samaritan Project, Inc., the Youth Leadership Academy, Inc. and United Community Center, the Milwaukee Passports for Youth Program, and New Concepts Self-Development Center.

In addition, 28 agencies received money through a competitive process. Some examples of the kinds of program activities that were allowed include counseling and youth development services, drop-out/truancy prevention strategies, gang violence prevention, academic remediation and advancement, career choices and counseling, AODA prevention, and parenting skills.

Literacy Grants
Illiteracy is one of the common barriers many of the individuals remaining in W-2 face. Literacy grants reinforce for W-2 participants and agencies the importance of literacy. These grants, administered in coordination with the Governor's Office of Literacy, provide services to TANF eligible individuals and children at or under 200 percent of the FPL. Grants are provided directly to existing literacy providers for adult literacy services, workplace literacy services and tutoring plan services for children. The literacy providers collaborate with the W-2 agency to ensure that services are provided to W-2 participants as needed. Once individuals are identified as likely to benefit from these services, the literacy providers offer one-on-one tutoring as well as small group instruction. The literacy providers work with participants to develop literacy goals and monitor progress and outcomes.

Fatherhood Initiative
The Fatherhood Initiative is a Department of Workforce Development effort to shine a spotlight on fathers, their importance in the lives of their children, and what we as a community can do to encourage their greater involvement. Under this initiative, TANF funding will provide grants for community organizations such as schools, churches, police departments and family resource centers to develop local fatherhood programs for families up to 200 percent of the FPL, and printing and distribution of educational materials related to parenting by fathers.

Legal Services
TANF funding will be provided to the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation (WisTAF) for the provision of legal services to families whose income is at or below 200 percent of poverty. WisTAF makes high quality grants to agencies that provide civil legal services to low income clients or programs for the administration of justice. Funding will be distributed to WisTAF in proportion to the amount of private donations received to fund services for eligible families, and only after the submission of a report on the amount of private donations received to fund legal services for eligible families.

English for Southeast Asian Children
The Wausau School District will utilize TANF funding for a program to teach English to three-, four-, and five-year old Southeast Asian children to promote success in school among families in the Southeast Asian community.

Domestic Abuse Services
The Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence received TANF funding to support the cost of a staff person to provide assistance in obtaining legal services to domestic abuse victims. The purpose of this funding is to improve legal assistance for victims from under-represented populations towards the goal of favorable legal outcomes. This work is also to include the development and distribution of materials to these victims that inform them of their legal rights, courses of action and possible legal remedies. TANF funds will target families with minor children, with income at or below 250 percent of poverty. Agencies must either obtain income information or eligibility information for another relevant program (e.g. W-2, food stamps, energy assistance, Medicaid, free or reduced school lunch, child care assistance) to determine who qualifies as TANF-eligible.

Kinship Care
Through the federal block grant funded under TANF, Wisconsin pays a cash benefit called a Kinship Care payment to Non-Legally Responsible Relative (NLRR) caretakers of a minor. This is a child only payment. NLRR caretakers are providing a service that allows displaced children to remain in the care of their extended family. The Kinship Care program preserves the ability to place children with NLRRs while providing appropriate oversight of placements to ensure children's safety and well-being. The Division of Children and Family Services in the Wisconsin DHFS oversees the administration of the program.

Relative caretakers are not required to participate in W-2 work training placements to receive financial support for the NLRR children. W-2 is a work-based system intended to provide opportunities to parents to provide for their children. Relatives caring for children who are not their legal responsibility are providing a service to the child and the community and have no work requirements.

Under Kinship Care, NLRR caretakers are eligible for a child only benefit if all of the following conditions are met:

1. The Kinship Care relative applies to the county or tribal social/human services child welfare agency. The agency completes an assessment and determines if there is a need for the child to be placed with the kinship care relative and if the placement with the kinship care relative is in the best interest of the child.
2. The county or tribal social/human services child welfare agency determines that the child meets one or more of the criteria specified in s. 48.13, Stats., or s. 938.13, Stats., or that the child would be at risk of meeting one or more of those criteria if the child were to remain in his or her home.
3. The county or tribal social/human services child welfare agency conducts a criminal background check on the kinship care relative, any other adult resident of the kinship care relative's home and any employees or prospective employees of the kinship care relative who have or would have regular contact with the child. The primary purpose of the background check is to determine if they have any arrests or convictions that could adversely affect the child or the kinship care relative's ability to care for the child.
4. The Kinship Care relative cooperates with the county or tribal social/human services child welfare agency in the application process, including applying for other forms of assistance for which the kinship care relative may be eligible.
5. The child for whom the kinship care relative is providing care and maintenance is not receiving supplemental security income (SSI) or state supplemental payments.

The Kinship Care payment amount is similar to previous AFDC payment levels in Wisconsin--$215 per child per month. In addition, kinship care children will remain non-financially eligible for Medicaid and food stamp benefits. The income and assets of kinship care relative caretakers are not considered in the kinship care eligibility determination. A kinship care eligibility review must be completed at least every twelve months. See the enclosed statutory language at s. 48.57(3m), Stats., for the statutory requirements of Kinship Care.

W-2 legislation provides that an individual who is a recipient of SSI is not eligible for participation in a W-2 employment position. Recipients of SSI have been determined permanently disabled, incapable of supporting themselves through employment, and therefore not appropriate for placement in a time-limited employment program.

To help with the support of SSI recipients' dependent children, a monthly benefit funded under TANF, called SSI Caretaker Supplement (C-Supp), is issued for each eligible child who meets all of the following criteria:

1. The child's sole custodial parent receives SSI or the child lives with both custodial parents and both receive SSI. In either circumstance, the caretaker(s) receive $250 for the first eligible child and $150 for each subsequent eligible child.
2. The child meets financial and non-financial AFDC eligibility criteria. If the family passes the AFDC eligibility test, the C-Supp payment is made.
3. The child does not receive SSI benefits.

The C-Supp program is separate from the W-2 program and is administered by Wisconsin's DHFS, Division of Supportive Living.

Milwaukee Child Welfare Coordinator
Section 48.48(16m), Stats., as created by 1997 Wisconsin Act 27, directs the Secretary of the Wisconsin DHFS to employ an individual to coordinate the provision of child welfare services in Milwaukee County with the implementation of the W-2 program to ensure that both programs interact effectively. The Director of Urban Development was appointed in May 1998 and will work under the direction of the Secretary of DHFS. Wisconsin is using TANF block grant money to fund half of this position. The other half of the money to fund the position is provided by DHFS. The Director will have responsibilities in four major areas: coordination with W-2; coordination with AODA, mental health, and substance abuse providers; coordination with Milwaukee Public Schools reform; and Department representation on issues involving the changes in federal welfare reform that ended the automatic links between Medicaid and cash assistance. The Director will also help enlist community and neighborhood resources in the building of family resiliency and self-sufficiency.

In Milwaukee County, many families having contact with the child welfare system are also W-2 participants. Coordinating these services in Milwaukee County helps families in W-2, and promotes family responsibility.

Early Identification of Pregnancy
The Early Identification of Pregnancy (EIDP) program funds pregnancy tests and other services primarily for women whose incomes are at or below 250 percent of the FPL. Under a waiver that DHFS is required by state law to submit to the federal government, women whose initial pregnancy tests are negative would be able to have access to Medicaid-funded family planning services with the goal of preventing future unwanted pregnancies. TANF funding will be utilized for outreach activities to increase public awareness of the program and for case management services that will inform individual women about particular services.

AODA Grants
The Department of Health and Family Services in cooperation with the Department of Workforce Development, solicited statewide proposals to provide new and expanded community-based alcohol and other drug abuse treatment services for families at or under 200 percent of the FPL, that the do the following:

• Meet the special needs of women and TANF eligible families with problems resulting from alcohol or other drug abuse.
• Emphasize parent education, vocational and housing assistance and coordination with other community programs and with treatment under intensive care.

Grant awards were made on January 13, 2000, to seven treatment providers serving 15 different counties and one tribe. The grant awards were made to those vendors who have clearly demonstrated that TANF eligibility will be determined by W-2, county, or tribal human/social services agencies and are collaborating with them on the delivery of AODA, employment, and employment-related activities.

WIC Program
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) provides food and nutrition information to help keep pregnant and breastfeeding women, new mothers, and infants and children up to age five healthy and strong. Participants must have a nutritional need, and a household income of less than or equal to 185% of the federal poverty level (or would be automatically income eligible if receiving W-2, Food Stamps or Medicaid). TANF funding, transferred to the Department of Health and Family Services, will support WIC nutrition, education and outreach activities.

Wisconsin Immunization Program
The Wisconsin Immunization Program distributes vaccines to public and private providers to immunize children (ages birth through eighteen years). TANF funding will be distributed for Immunization activity to serve persons at or below 200 percent of poverty. The Immunization Program will use TANF funds for outreach and education, to track preschool children, and insure they stay on schedule for recommended immunizations via reminder/recall notices to parents.

Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention and Pregnancy Services Board
The Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention and Pregnancy Services Board distributes TANF-funded grants to organizations to provide adolescent pregnancy prevention programs and pregnancy services including health care, education, counseling, vocational training, social, and recreational services. Parents or parental figures must be involved in programs to promote positive family relationships.

Brighter Futures
Under the Administration of the Department of Health and Family Services, the Brighter Futures program awards TANF-funded grants to nonprofit corporations and public agencies in Milwaukee County and county social services agencies in other counties. The purpose of the grants are for the prevention of youth violence, substance use and abuse, child abuse and neglect, and nonmarital pregnancy, and for the promotion of adolescent self-sufficiency.

Community Marriage Policy Coordinator
This position, funded under TANF, works with local clergy across the state to assist in the development of community-wide standards for marriages solemnized by members of the clergy in that community.

Services to Address Homelessness
The Department of Administration (DOA) will use TANF funds to expand resources available to serve families who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless. The TANF funds will be used to support agencies that provide shelter services to homeless individuals that are TANF-eligible, with up to 50 percent of the funds being used for non-medical alcohol and drug abuse services for homeless individuals.

Badger Challenge
The Badger Challenge Program is a two-phase program for at-risk youth, ages 14 to 16, who are at risk of dropping out of school. Program participants funded with TANF must be members of TANF-eligible families under 200 percent of the FPL. Participants must voluntarily agree to attend the program and be drug-free during their stay. Phase I consists of a six week residential stay where cadets participate in activities to improve anger management, teamwork, leadership, following and personal growth. Phase II consists of post residential mentoring with community volunteers. A coordinator position organizes mentor-related activities in the various communities where Badger Challenge Program graduates are located.

Department of Public Instruction

Aid to Milwaukee Public Schools
A TANF appropriation to Milwaukee Public Schools provides funding for early childhood education contracts with day care centers and alternative educational programs for Learnfare pupils.

Head Start Expansion
Through a transfer of TANF funds, the Department of Public Instruction will expand the number of Head Start programs that provide full-time care, in order to support low-income parent's work efforts. Additional emphasis will be put on developing Early Head Start programs.

Self-Paced Youth Apprenticeship Program
Under the administration of local Workforce Development Boards, the Self-Paced Youth Apprenticeship Program allows eligible students to meet the first year requirements of a youth apprenticeship program while also working towards a high school diploma or its equivalent. Through the program, employers hire youth apprentices for 10 to 20 hours per week and, through mentors, train students in industry-established skills. The employers pay students at least the minimum wage, provide worker's compensation and evaluate the student's performance. Program coordinators are hired to recruit students and employers, organize work sites, and identify and provide supportive services for students. Participants who fulfil the necessary requirements may earn a certificate recognizing skills attained through the apprenticeship.

School-To-Work Initiative
Wisconsin's School-to-Work Initiative is both an early intervention tool and an investment in Wisconsin's future workforce. It is estimated that 70 percent of the jobs will require significant training after high school and 60 percent of the new jobs will be in higher skill occupations. As part of our effort to enhance the future employability of all youth, including low-income individuals, Wisconsin's school-to-work initiative encompasses program and curricular changes aimed at better preparing youth to enter the workforce, immediately after high school or following post-secondary education. Youth who are better prepared to enter the workforce will be less likely to rely on the welfare system for support during school or after graduation. Generally, school-to-work programs are aimed at:

• encouraging youth to plan for a career more thoroughly and at an earlier age;
• acquainting youth with alternatives to a baccalaureate degree (such as associate programs and apprenticeships); and
• forging partnerships between K-12 schools and technical colleges, universities and businesses in order to facilitate career pathways from school to the workforce.

The school-to-work initiative includes new and innovative programs in youth apprenticeship, career counseling centers, certified cooperative education, integrated curriculum (Tech Prep), university competency based admissions and post-secondary enrollment options. These programs are administered primarily by Wisconsin's DWD, the Department of Public Instruction, the Wisconsin Technical College System Board and the University of Wisconsin System. Fiscal responsibility rests with the DWD.

The focus of the TANF funding will be a "break the cycle" effort directed at our most vulnerable youth. For those in danger of remaining in a cycle of poverty and dependency, it will provide an alternative view of their future. It will help them to start planning for careers early and will provide them with a realistic view of the many opportunities available to them in the world of work.

Funding under TANF will be applied to the state administrative costs necessary to expand the school-to-work program in order to target low-income individuals who are needy per the TANF eligibility criteria. This effort will include additional outreach and assistance in designing local programs to meet the needs of youth and employers in all areas of the state, with emphasis on those areas with the highest concentrations of low-income individuals.

Southeast Youth Employment Program
The Southeast Youth Employment Program provides grant money to Workforce Development Boards (WDB) in southeastern Wisconsin under a competitive process. The WDBs may subcontract with business and schools to develop one-year pilot programs for high school juniors and seniors to provide career exploration, academic training and technical training along with paid work experience.

Family Resource Centers
The Children's Trust Fund will utilize TANF dollars to support 17 Family Resource Centers around the state. Family Resource Centers primarily focus on parents and their children from birth to age three. Recognizing that all parents need help at some time, but that not all families need the same kind or intensity of support, Family Resource Centers have developed a wide range of services to meet the individual needs of community. The Family Resource Centers will use TANF funding to provide additional services for families up to 200 percent of the FPL including: parenting skills training; programs and local media campaigns to promote responsible fatherhood and increase the capacity for fathers to support their children emotionally; and activities to promote parental access and visitation.

SEPARATE STATE PROGRAMS

Wisconsin operates several programs in addition to the federal TANF programs that are funded exclusively with state funds. These programs serve needy families that are ineligible per TANF restrictions (42 USC 608) and other low-income persons. Expenditures under these Separate State Programs will be distinctly tracked in the state's accounting system and will be counted toward the state's MOE requirement for TANF.

W-2 Services for Qualified Aliens
The State of Wisconsin provides benefits and services to qualified aliens without regard to the restrictions found under 8 USC 1612 and 1613. W-2 groups whose adult parent or parents are non-citizens lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence, aliens granted asylum under 8 USC 1158, refugees admitted under 8 USC 1187, aliens paroled into the United States under 8 USC 1182 for at least one year, aliens whose deportation is being withheld under 8 USC 1254, and aliens who are granted conditional entry pursuant to 8 USC 1153 as in effect prior to April 1, 1980, will be subject to the same eligibility determination used for citizen applicants for W-2.

Food Stamp Benefits for Qualified Aliens
Effective August 1, 1998, the State of Wisconsin provided state-funded food stamp benefits to qualified aliens and their dependent children who were made ineligible for food stamps solely due to provisions of PRWORA. The State is using eligibility determination and benefit levels used by the federal Food Stamp Program. FSET Services for those qualified aliens who would be mandatory participants under current federal guidelines are being provided under this program. Effective November 1, 1998, those qualified aliens newly eligible for federal food stamps benefits under the provisions of Public Law 105-185, the Agriculture Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (AREERA) will be removed from the state-funded program.

W-2 Interim Assistance Program
Adults who have filed an application for 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 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.

W-2 requires that a participant apply for other public assistance programs for which s/he may be eligible. This provision was included so that individuals who more appropriately should be served under the SSI program or another disability program could apply, be determined eligible, and move from W-2 to that program. The W-2 eligibility criteria also provide that an individual who is a recipient of SSI is not eligible for participation in a W-2 employment position.

Some W-2 participants would be eligible for SSI based on a disability determination. However, the federal Social Security Administration (SSA) has issued a policy requiring the entire W-2 benefit to be counted in the SSI income test if the SSI application was filed by the family member participating in a W-2 employment position and the W-2 benefit is funded with federal money. This federal policy interpretation would virtually disqualify all W-2 participants from becoming eligible for SSI because of excess income. By providing financial assistance through a state funded program, Wisconsin has eliminated the receipt of W-2 benefits as a barrier to SSI eligibility.

Children First Program
Children First is a program which promotes the emotional and financial responsibility of the non-custodial parent to his or her children. The non-custodial parent, who has no current means of meeting a child support obligation, is behind in child support payments and does not work full-time, may be ordered by the court to participate in the Children First program. The Children First program operates concurrently with the W-2 program. Federal approval for the use of waiver savings funds for Children First was received on January 4, 1993.

The Children First program requires a court order mandating non-custodial parent participation in the program. The program provides, at a minimum, job search assistance, work experience, education, training opportunities and case management services designed to enable eligible non-custodial parents to obtain and retain employment. The overall result, that of developing a bond between the non-custodial parent and the child(ren) and a communication line between the non-custodial parent and the custodial parent, is essential.

The Children First program is successfully completed when a participant makes full child support payments for three consecutive months or completes 16 weeks of employment and training activities. If these goals are not achieved, the participant may be referred to court for appropriate disposition. A crucial element to the success of the program is the partnership between the court system, the child support agency and the administering Children First agency.

Tribal Child Care
DHFS administers the Tribal Child Care Program. Funds are distributed to eleven Wisconsin Indian tribes to provide low-income child care (child care for work activities) or crisis or respite child care in a manner that would be compatible with the federal requirements for use of federal child care and development funds (CCDF).

Substance Abuse Services
The Department of Health and Family Services solicited proposals to provide new or expanded community-based alcohol and other drug abuse treatment programs that meet the special needs of TANF eligible individuals, with problems resulting from alcohol or other drug abuse (AODA) in Milwaukee County. The grants were awarded based on the programs' ability to emphasize parent education, vocational and housing assistance and coordination with other community programs and with treatment under intensive care.

Expenditures under the following programs will be counted toward the state's MOE requirement to the extent they exceed the amounts paid in FFY 1995.

Earned Income Credit
Wisconsin provides a state-funded Earned Income Credit (EIC) program to eligible low-income families. The Wisconsin EIC provides a direct benefit to working families with qualifying children. Under the Wisconsin program, persons may be eligible to receive the tax credit if they or their spouse worked full or part-time during the tax year, had at least one qualifying child, were a full-year resident of Wisconsin, and qualified for the federal EIC. The Wisconsin EIC is four percent of the federal EIC amount if the person has one child, 14 percent if the person has two children and 43 percent if the person has three or more children. To claim the state EIC, an individual must file a state tax return.

Homestead Credit
Wisconsin provides a state-funded Homestead Credit (HC) program to eligible low-income families. The Wisconsin HC program provides direct relief to home owners and renters. Under the Wisconsin program, persons may be eligible to receive the credit if they meet the income eligibility requirements (total household income of less than $19,154 in 1997), were 18 years of age or older by the end of the tax (calendar) year, owned or rented the Wisconsin homestead they lived in during the tax year and were a full-year resident of Wisconsin. Persons are not eligible for the Homestead Credit if they received public assistance (AFDC or W-2) for the entire year. Income from public assistance is counted in determining the amount of credit if the person received AFDC or W-2 for part of the year. The HC is based upon the property taxes paid on the home or the portion of rent that qualifies as property taxes if the individual was a renter.

The base amount used for the MOE calculation matched persons on the AFDC caseload in calendar year (CY) 1994 against the CY 1994 tax year information. Persons eligible for an EIC or HC payment in CY 1994 would be eligible for payment in CY 1995. The base amount was calculated as those payments made from January 1, 1995, to September 30, 1995, for those persons on the caseload in CY 1994. Next, the amount of EIC and HC payments made from January 1 to September 30 for the prior calendar (tax) year is calculated for those persons who were on the caseload at any time from CY 1994 to the previous calendar year. The difference between this amount and the base level will be counted toward the state's MOE requirement.

ATTACHMENT B

This has been designed to enable the Chief Executive Officer of a State to certify that the State will operate its Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program in accordance with the statutory requirements in section 402(a)(2) through (7).

The State will operate a program to provide Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) so that the children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives; to end dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work and marriage; to prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and establish annual numerical goals for preventing and reducing the incidence of these pregnancies; and encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.

This program is generally known as: Wisconsin Works

Executive Officer of the State (Name): Tommy G. Thompson, Governor

In administering and operating a program which provides Temporary Assistance for Needy Families with minor children under title IV-A of the Social Security Act, the State will:

1. Specify which State agency or agencies will administer and supervise the program under part A in all political subdivisions of the State:

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and Department of Health and Family Services are the agencies responsible for administering the program;

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and Department of Health and Family Services are the agencies responsible for supervising the program;

2. Assure that local governments and private sector organizations:

•(a) Have been consulted regarding the plan and design of welfare services in the State so that services are provided in a manner appropriate to local populations; and

•(b) Have had at least 45 days to submit comments on the plan and the design of such services.

3. Operate a Child Support Enforcement program under the State plan approved under part D;

4. Operate a Foster Care and Adoption Assistance program in accordance with part E, and certify that the State will take all necessary actions to ensure that children receiving assistance are eligible for medical assistance;

5. Provide each member of an Indian tribe, who is domiciled in the State and is not eligible for assistance under a Tribal Family Assistance plan approved under Section 412, with equitable access to assistance under the State program funded under this part attributable to funds provided by the Federal Government.

6. Establish and enforce standards and procedures to ensure against program fraud and abuse, including standards and procedures concerning nepotism, conflicts of interest among individuals responsible for the administration and supervision of the State program, kickbacks, and the use of political patronage.

7. Make available to the public a summary of the State plan; and

OPTIONAL CERTIFICATION

[ ] The State has established and is enforcing standards and procedures to:

•(1) Screen and identify individuals receiving assistance under this part with a history of domestic violence while maintaining the confidentiality of such individuals;
•(2) Refer such individuals to counseling and supportive services; and
•(3) Waive, pursuant to a determination of good cause, other program requirements such as time limits (for as long as necessary) for individuals receiving assistance, residency requirements, child support cooperation requirements, and family cap provisions, in cases where compliance with such requirements would make it more difficult for individuals receiving assistance under this part to escape domestic violence or unfairly penalize such individuals who are or have been victimized by such violence, or individuals who are at risk of further domestic violence. *

Signed by:  Linda Stewart, Secretary, Department of Workforce Development, October 20, 1998

 * Wisconsin has found that it is counterproductive to categorically waive program requirements for those who are the most in need of help, such as victims of domestic abuse. In the past, individuals who were exempted from work requirements received no case management and were often forgotten. Under W-2, case managers will work closely with victims of domestic abuse to overcome special barriers that might exist. Wisconsin’s strategy is supported by the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The coalition supports the state’s decision not to opt for the FVO and has worked with the state to develop appropriate training on working successfully with victims of domestic abuse.

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Section 403(a)(1)(A) provides that each eligible State shall be entitled to receive for each of the fiscal years 1996 through 2002, a grant in an amount equal to the State family assistance grant as defined in section 403(a)(1)(B).

I. Payments to Agency Administering the TANF Program

•Payments for the TANF program will be made to the organization managing the AFDC/JOBS programs as of August 22, 1996, unless the State indicates that the TANF administering agency is changed. If a change is made, describe the name, address and EIN number of the new organization.

II. State Payments for TANF Program

•Section 405 requires that grants be paid to States in quarterly installments, based on State estimates. The State's estimate for each quarter of the 1999 fiscal year by percentage is:

•For FY 2000, States should indicate below the percentage of TANF funds requested for only those quarters in which they plan to operate the program.

III. Changes and Inquiries

If a State determines that these estimates require changes, a letter indicating the change in percentages should be sent to your ACF Regional Office and to ACF's Central Office. The Central Office address is:

The Administration for Children and Families
The Office of Program Support The Division of Grants Management
6th Floor, Aerospace Building
370 L'Enfant Promenade
Washington, D.C. 20447

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