Vermont Statutes Title 33 Sec. 1107
Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 33 Sec. 1107
- Adult: means an individual who:
- Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
- Assessment: means the information-gathering process, carried out by the Department's established protocol, that identifies an individual's skills, aptitudes, interests, life and work experience, and barriers, and the determination of how these factors relate to the individual's current or potential participation in the labor force and his or her family responsibilities. See
- Caretaker: means an individual 18 years of age or older who is fulfilling a parental role in caring for a dependent child by providing physical care, guidance, and decision making related to the child's health, school, medical care, and discipline. See
- Case management: means the services provided by or through the Department to participating families, including assessment, information, referrals, and assistance in the preparation and implementation of a family development plan under section 1107 of this title. See
- Commissioner: means the Commissioner for Children and Families or his or her designee. See
- Department: means the Department for Children and Families. See
- Family: means :
- Financial assistance: means cash, payments, electronic or direct payments for a family's housing or other expenses, and other forms of benefits designed to meet a family's ongoing basic needs that are available through the Reach Up program. See
- following: when used by way of reference to a section of the law shall mean the next preceding or following section. See
- Parent: means :
- participating adult: means an adult member of a participating family. See
- Participating family: means an eligible family that participates in the Reach Up program. See
- Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
- Reach First: means the program established in chapter 10 of this title. See
- Reach Up: means the program administered by the Department that assists and enables eligible families to become self-sufficient by providing financial assistance and Reach Up services. See
- Reach Up services: means the service component of the Reach Up program consisting of case management services, support services, and referrals provided to eligible families to assist them in becoming self-sufficient. See
- Resources: means any income and property available from whatever source. See
- Secretary: means the Secretary of Human Services or his or her designee. See
- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States may apply to the District of Columbia and any territory and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. See
- Subsidized job: means employment for which the employer receives a subsidy from TANF funds or other public funds to offset some or all of the wages and costs of employing a participant. See
- Work-ready: means the participant possesses the education or skills demanded by the local job market or is capable of participating in one or more work activities at the level required by the participant's work requirement, and is not subject to any barrier. See
§ 1107. Case management; family development plans; coordinated services
[Subsection (a) effective until January 1, 2024; see also subsection (a) effective January 1, 2024, set out below.]
(a)(1) The Commissioner shall provide all Reach Up services to participating families through a case management model informed by knowledge of the family’s home, community, employment, and available resources. Services may be delivered in the district office, the family’s home, or the community in a way that facilitates progress toward accomplishment of the family development plan. Case management may be provided to other eligible families. The case manager, with the full involvement of the family, shall recommend, and the Commissioner shall modify as necessary, a family development plan established under the Reach First or Reach Up program for each participating family, with a right of appeal as provided by section 1132 of this title. A case manager shall be assigned to each participating family as soon as the family begins to receive financial assistance. If administratively feasible and appropriate, the case manager shall be the same case manager the family was assigned in the Reach First program. The applicant for or recipient of financial assistance under this chapter shall have the burden of demonstrating the existence of his or her condition.
(2) The case manager shall meet with each participating family following any statutory or rule changes affecting the amount of the earned income disregard, asset limitations, or other eligibility or benefit criteria in the Reach Up program to inform the family of the changes and advise the family about ways to maximize the opportunities to achieve earned income without a corresponding loss of benefits.
[Subsection (a) effective January 1, 2024; see also subsection (a) effective until January 1, 2024, set out above.]
(a)(1) The Commissioner shall provide all Reach Up services to participating families through a case management model informed by knowledge of the family’s goals and aspirations, circumstances, home, community, employment, and available resources. Services may be delivered in the district office, the family’s home, or the community in a way that facilitates progress toward accomplishment of the family development plan consistent with research on best practices. Case management may be provided to other eligible families. The case manager and family together shall create a family development plan for each participating family, with a right of appeal as provided by section 1132 of this title. A case manager shall be assigned to each participating family as soon as the family begins to receive financial assistance. If administratively feasible and appropriate, the case manager shall be the same case manager the family was assigned in the Reach First program.
(2) Each case manager shall utilize a universal engagement model that aims to engage each participating family, to the best of their ability, in improving the family’s social, emotional, and economic well-being. The universal engagement model approaches work and workforce development as a continuum in which each participating adult who is able participates in work or the process of preparing for work, participates in training and education, and increases the participating family’s income. A participating adult who is unable to participate due to extenuating personal or family challenges shall be excused from the program participation requirements until able to participate, in accordance with criteria established by rule pursuant to 3 Vt. Stat. Ann. chapter 25.
(3) The case manager shall meet with each participating family following any statutory or rule changes affecting the amount of the earned income disregard, asset limitations, or other eligibility or benefit criteria in the Reach Up program to inform the family of the changes and advise the family about ways to maximize the opportunities to achieve earned income without a corresponding loss of benefits.
(b) The case manager shall establish a schedule for periodic review of the family development plan. In addition, the case manager shall review, and modify if necessary, the plan in the following circumstances:
(1) there is a lack of satisfactory progress in achieving the goals of the plan;
(2) the parent or caretaker has lost unsubsidized or subsidized employment;
(3) a family member has failed to comply with a family development plan requirement or a work requirement;
(4) services required by the plan are unavailable;
(5) at least 30 days prior to when the parent or caretaker would become work-ready or would otherwise be deemed work-ready on the basis of 12-cumulative-month receipt of financial assistance;
(6) a deferment or modification of the work requirements imposed by section 1113 of this title has been requested or is due for review;
(7) within 30 days of when the parent or caretaker has started an unsubsidized or subsidized job; or
(8) changes to the plan are needed to protect the well-being of the children.
(c) The Commissioner shall adopt rules, consistent with research on best practices, establishing maximum caseloads for case managers.
(d) The Secretary of Education, with the assistance and support of the Commissioner for Children and Families, the Commissioner of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living, and the Commissioner of Labor, shall develop and implement comparable and reciprocally recognized literacy assessment protocols that will be used for all clients seeking adult education and literacy services; related services of the Agency of Education; or the services of the Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living, the Department of Labor, or the Department for Children and Families, when such services are being sought for the purpose of developing or strengthening competencies or skills related to the clients’ current or future employment. Such protocols shall, to the extent practicable, utilize the same terminology and apply comparable criteria, consistent with individual program purposes and authorization, in determining when testing, other standardized measurement tools, or referrals to relevant professionals for evaluation or diagnosis are appropriate.
(e) The Secretary shall work cooperatively with public and private, local, and regional entities:
(1) to develop subsidized jobs with employers, using the same health and safety standards in effect for unsubsidized jobs;
(2) to develop work placements that incorporate an adult education and literacy component into the hours of work for participants who need to continue to work on their secondary education while fulfilling their work requirement;
(3) to adopt rules that set priorities for services of benefit to the people of Vermont and that prevent displacement of previous unsubsidized workers by subsidized Reach Up program participants; and
(4) to ensure that necessary support services are available, appropriate, and within a reasonable distance, including child care, health care, and transportation.
(f) The Secretary shall:
(1) work with community providers to develop and maintain an adequate number and variety of supervised living alternatives designed to meet the individual needs of parents who are under 18;
(2) work with community providers to develop and maintain parenting, training, and education options for parents who are under 18;
(3) establish and maintain an information program to enable parents to learn about and take advantage of benefits and services that are available to parents who work outside the home;
(4) increase public awareness of the federal and State earned income tax credits, and encourage families who may be eligible to apply for such tax credits; and
(5) in partnership with the Human Resources Investment Council, develop and maintain one or more job training and employment programs for noncustodial parents to encourage long-term economic self-sufficiency and, by extension, their ability to pay child support. (Added 1999, No. 147 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. July 1, 2001; amended 1999, No. 147 (Adj. Sess.), § 4; 2005, No. 103 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. April 5, 2006; 2005, No. 174 (Adj. Sess.), § 83; 2007, No. 30, § 7, eff. May 17, 2007; 2013, No. 50, § E.323; 2013, No. 92 (Adj. Sess.), § 292, eff. Feb. 14, 2014; 2013, No. 131 (Adj. Sess.), § 26, eff. May 20, 2014; 2013, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2017, No. 109 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2021, No. 133 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. January 1, 2024.)