Within available funding, the department shall make assistance available to eligible families under the family investment program. At a minimum, a family shall meet all of the following conditions of eligibility:
 1.

 Application.

 An application for the program is made to the department. The application shall be in writing or reduced to writing in the manner and upon the form prescribed by the department. The application shall be made by the specified relative with whom the child resides or will reside, and shall contain the information required on the application form. One application may be made for several children of the same family if the children reside or will reside with the same specified relative.

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Terms Used In Iowa Code 239B.2

  • Applicant: means a person who files an application for participation in the family investment program under this chapter. See Iowa Code 239B.1
  • Assistance: means a family investment program payment. See Iowa Code 239B.1
  • Child: includes but shall not be limited to a stepchild, foster child, or legally adopted child and means a child actually or apparently under eighteen years of age, and a dependent person eighteen years of age or over who is unable to maintain the person's self and is likely to become a public charge. See Iowa Code 252A.2
  • Child: means an unmarried person who is less than eighteen years of age or an unmarried person who is eighteen years of age and is engaged full-time in completing high school graduation or equivalency requirements in a manner which is reasonably expected to result in completion of the requirements prior to the person reaching nineteen years of age. See Iowa Code 239B.1
  • Department: means the department of health and human services. See Iowa Code 249L.2
  • Department: means the department of health and human services. See Iowa Code 239B.1
  • Family: means a family unit that includes at least one child and at least one parent or other specified relative of the child. See Iowa Code 239B.1
  • Family investment agreement: means the agreement developed with a participant in accordance with section 239B. See Iowa Code 239B.1
  • Family investment program: means the family investment program under this chapter. See Iowa Code 239B.1
  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • JOBS program: means the promoting independence and self-sufficiency through employment job opportunities and basic skills program created in section 239B. See Iowa Code 239B.1
  • Limited benefit plan: means a period of time in which a participant or member of a participant's family is either eligible for reduced assistance only or ineligible for any assistance under the family investment program, in accordance with section 239B. See Iowa Code 239B.1
  • Participant: means a person who is receiving full or partial family investment program assistance. See Iowa Code 239B.1
  • Rule: includes "regulation". See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Specified relative: means a person who is, or was at any time, one of the following relatives of an applicant or participant child, by means of blood relationship, marriage, or adoption, or is a spouse of one of the following relatives:
     a. See Iowa Code 239B.1
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
 2.

 Income and resources.

 The family meets income and resource guidelines established by the department to attain or retain financial eligibility. In determining a family’s income and resources, the department shall consider the income and resources of the child, the child’s parent, the child’s stepparent living with the child, or any other specified relative with whom the child resides or will reside available to the family unless specifically exempted as provided in section 239B.7 or by rule or unless otherwise provided by federal law. A family’s failure to meet the income or resource guidelines shall result in denial of the family’s eligibility for the program.

 3.

 Unemployment.
 a. A determination of eligibility for a family with an unemployed parent shall not include consideration of either parent’s number of hours of employment. Both parents must enter into and participate in a family investment agreement and participate in JOBS program activities unless good cause not to participate is established in accordance with rules.
 b. Any of the following reasons for refusing employment or training are not good cause:

 (1) Unsuitable or unpleasant work or training, if the parent is able to perform the work or training without unusual danger to the parent’s health.
 (2) The amount of wages or compensation, unless the wages for employment are below the amount customary for the same work in the community.
 4.

 Written statement – family investment agreement.
 a. The department may require an applicant family to commit to the initial actions the applicant family will take to achieve self-sufficiency as contained in a signed, written statement. An applicant family which fails to commit to the actions as contained in the written statement shall be denied eligibility for the family investment program. If the applicant family becomes a participant family, the family’s written statement may be replaced by, incorporated within, or become the family investment agreement for that family.
 b. Unless exempt as provided in section 239B.8, a participant family which is eligible for the program shall continue to comply with the provisions of a written statement which contains actions committed to by the family under paragraph “a” or shall enter into a family investment agreement with the department. A participant family must comply with the provisions of the written statement or the conditions in the agreement in order to retain eligibility. A participant family which does not comply shall be deemed to have chosen a limited benefit plan.
 5.

 Provision of information.

 The family provides requested information to the department. The department shall adopt rules specifying the conditions under which an applicant or participant family is denied eligibility for family investment program assistance for failure to provide requested information.

 6.

 Cooperation with child support requirements.

 The department shall provide for prompt notification of child support services if assistance is provided to a child whose parent is absent from the home. An applicant or participant shall cooperate with child support services and the department as provided in 42 U.S.C. § 608(a)(2) unless the applicant or participant qualifies for good cause or other exception as determined by the department in accordance with the best interest of the child, parent, or specified relative, and with standards prescribed by rule. The authorized good cause or other exceptions shall include participation in a family investment agreement safety plan option to address or prevent family or domestic violence and other consideration given to the presence of family or domestic violence. If a specified relative with whom a child is residing fails to comply with these cooperation requirements, a sanction shall be imposed as defined by rule in accordance with state and federal law.

 7.

 Periodic reviews.

 As a condition of eligibility, the department may require periodic reports from a participant concerning the participant’s income, resources, family composition, and other circumstances. If the participant’s circumstances change, the participant’s assistance may be continued, renewed, suspended, changed in amount, or entirely withdrawn, as determined in accordance with rule.

 8.

 Out-of-state assistance.

 Assistance shall be paid to a participant residing temporarily out-of-state if the participant retains residency in this state and remains otherwise eligible for assistance. The department shall periodically redetermine the eligibility of a participant who is temporarily residing out-of-state.

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