§ 216A.107 — Family development and self-sufficiency — grant program

Iowa § 216A.107

• Jurisdiction: Iowa
• Title VI: HUMAN SERVICES
• Ch. 216A: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES — HUMAN RIGHTS

Text

1. The council on health and human services shall do all of the following:
a. Identify the factors and conditions that place Iowa families at risk of dependency upon
the family investment program. The council shall seek to use relevant research findings and
national and Iowa-specific data on the family investment program.
b. Identify the factors and conditions that place Iowa families at risk of family instability.
The council shall seek to use relevant research findings and national and Iowa-specific data
on family stability issues.
c. Subject to the availability of funds for this purpose, award grants to public or private
organizations for provision of family development services to families at risk of dependency
on the family investment program or of family instability. Not more than five percent of
any funds appropriated by the general assembly for the purposes of this lettered paragraph
may be used for staffing and administration of the grants. Grant proposals for the family
development and self-sufficiency grant program shall include the following elements:
(1) Designation of families to be served that meet one or more criteria for being at risk
of dependency on the family investment program or of family instability, and agreement to
serve clients that are referred by the department from the family investment program which
meet the criteria. The criteria may include but are not limited to factors such as educational
level, work history, family structure, age of the youngest child in the family, previous length
ofstayonthefamilyinvestmentprogram, andparticipationinthefamilyinvestmentprogram
or the foster care program while the head of a household was a child. Grant proposals shall
also establish the number of families to be served under the grant.
(2) Designation of the services to be provided for the families served, including assistance
regarding job-seeking skills, family budgeting, nutrition, self-esteem, methamphetamine
education, health and hygiene, child rearing, child education preparation, and goal setting.
Grant proposals shall indicate the support groups and support systems to be developed for
the families served during the transition between the need for assistance and self-sufficiency.
(3) Designation of the manner in which other needs of the families will be provided for,
including but not limited to child care assistance, transportation, substance use disorder
treatment, support group counseling, food, clothing, and housing.
(4) Designation of the process for training of the staff which provides services, and
the appropriateness of the training for the purposes of meeting family development and
self-sufficiency goals of the families being served.
(5) Designation of the support available within the community for the program and for
meeting subsequent needs of the clients, and the manner in which community resources will
be made available to the families being served.
11 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES — HUMAN RIGHTS, §216A.113
(6) Designation of the manner in which the program will be subject to audit and to
evaluation.
(7) Designation of agreement provisions for tracking and reporting performance
measures developed pursuant to paragraph “d”.
d. Develop appropriate performance measures for the grant program to demonstrate how
the program helps families achieve self-sufficiency.
e. SeektoenlistresearchsupportfromtheIowaresearchcommunityinmeetingtheduties
outlined in paragraphs “a” through “d”.
f. Seek additional support for the funding of grants under the program, including but
not limited to funds available through the federal government in serving families at risk of
long-term welfare dependency, and private foundation grants.
g. Make recommendations to the governor and the general assembly on the effectiveness
of programs in Iowa and throughout the country that provide family development services
that lead to self-sufficiency for families at risk of welfare dependency.
2. a. The department shall administer the family development and self-sufficiency grant
program.
b. To the extent that the family development and self-sufficiency grant program is
funded by the federal temporary assistance for needy families block grant and by the
state maintenance of efforts funds appropriated in connection with the block grant, the
department shall comply with all federal requirements for the block grant. The department
is responsible for payment of any federal penalty imposed that is attributable to the grant
program and shall receive any federal bonus payment attributable to the grant program.
c. The department shall ensure that expenditures of moneys appropriated to the
department from the general fund of the state for the family development and self-sufficiency
grant program are eligible to be considered as state maintenance of effort expenditures
under federal temporary assistance for needy families block grant requirements.
d. The department shall consider the recommendations of the council on health and
human services in adopting rules pertaining to the grant program.
e. The department shall submit to the governor and general assembly on or before
November 30 following the end of each state fiscal year, a report detailing performance
measure and outcome data evaluating the family development and self-sufficiency grant
program for the fiscal year that just ended.