TANF ACF-812 Report on Engagement

Oklahoma Department of Human Services
TANF Report on Engagement in Additional Work Activities
ACF-812
2nd Quarter 2011 Data Summary

Introduction

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (ACF) addressed State Agencies administering the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, (TANF) Program via the TANF-ACF-PI-2011-03 issued on February 14, 2011.  Based on Section 411 of the Social Security Act and section 812 of the Claims Resolution Act of 2010, funding for the TANF program was authorized and extended through September 30, 2011.  Form ACF-812, Report on Engagement in Additional Work Activities, requires Oklahoma and other states to report whether each work eligible individual (WEI) in a family is engaged in any activities that are directed toward attaining self-sufficiency.  This includes activities classified as countable or non-countable work activity under quarterly TANF Data Collection regulations.

Form ACF-812 requires the reporting of data for two report periods.  The first period is March 1 through March 31, 2011, and is due no later than May 31, 2011.  The second report period is April 1 through June 30, 2011 and is due no later than August 31, 2011.

Oklahoma Reporting Requirement Factors and ACF-812

Oklahoma Department of Human Services submitted its first TANF Report on Engagement in Additional Work Activities for the reporting period of March 1 through March 31, 2011.  Two Parent Families are funded with non-SSPMOE funds and therefore work eligibility individuals included in Two Parent Families are not included in the federal participation rate calculation.  Oklahoma submits TANF data for the entire caseload.  For the second reporting period of the 2nd Quarter 2011 a total of 10,261 work eligible individuals were included in TANF caseloads.

Analysis

Oklahoma’s 2nd Quarter 2011 data is not a statistically valid representation of Oklahoma’s annual caseload.  This data may be inconsistent with data reported by Oklahoma in the Quarterly TANF report.

Data Element 8 includes all participants who are engaged in Educational activities even though only thirty percent of those participants can be counted toward the Federal participation rate.  Oklahoma exceeds the thirty percent every month.  In FY2011 2nd Quarter, a monthly average of 226 participants were excluded from the participation rate.

Data Element 10 includes those participants who were benefiting from active engagement in work activities although they were unable to meet the minimum core/non-core requirements.

Data Element 11 represents the participants engaged in Job Readiness/Job Search activities.  Oklahoma offers a variety of Job Readiness activities that include:

Soft Skills training
Substance Abuse, Screening and Treatment
Mental Health Treatment and Services
Job Skills Training directly related to employment
Work Keys/Key Train
Orientation to the TANF Program
Assessments:  Job Interests, Educational levels, Learning Disabilities, Vision Screening
Job Search
Employment Counseling

Data Element 13 represents those participants who participated in work activities designed to move them toward self-sufficiency, but the hours in these activities do not qualify as countable hours:

Adult Basic Education
Literacy Classes
English as a Second Language
GED for adults age 20 and older

Most Common Activities Not Counted Towards the Work Participation Rate

Although Oklahoma’s 2nd Quarter 2011 data is not representative of the annual caseload, it demonstrates Oklahoma families are engaged in activities which are leading them to self-sufficiency.  One work activity that is inadequately represented in this report is educational activities.  For the purposes of this report 100% of individuals participating in an educational activity are reported as participating in a countable work activity.  In the actual federal quarterly report (ACF-199) only thirty percent of Oklahoma’s Work Participation Rate may include individuals in these same educational activities. 

Conclusion

The exercise of compiling the data needed for the completion of the ACF-812 has shown the activities of the TANF participants in a new light.  While the information has been beneficial for reasons of non-participation, it has reinforced Oklahoma’s resolve to move families to self-sufficiency by assessing each family’s situation and creating an individualized plan which may include countable or non-countable work activities.  Oklahoma hopes that the results of this report will lead to additional flexibility in rules related to capturing the success of the TANF program.