ACYF
Administration on Children, Youth
and Families |
U.S. DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families |
| 1. Log No. ACYF-PI-HS-99-06 |
2. Issuance Date: 07/29/99 |
| 3. Originating Office: Head Start Bureau |
| 4. Key Word: Public Assistance and Head Start Eligibility |
PROGRAM INSTRUCTION
TO: Head Start Grantees and Delegate Agencies
SUBJECT: Receipt of Public Assistance and Determining Eligibility for Head Start
LEGAL AND RELATED REFERENCES: The Head Start Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq. 45 CFR 1305, Eligibility,
Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment and Attendance in Head Start.
BACKGROUND:
Section 645(a) of the Head Start Act states that "children from
low-income families shall be eligible for participation in programs assisted
under this subchapter if their families' incomes are below the poverty
line, or if their families are eligible ...for public assistance."
Historically, Head Start defined families eligible for public assistance
as those who were receiving payments through the AFDC program (Aid to
Families with Dependent Children) or through the SSI program (Supplemental
Security Income). With welfare reform and the passage of the Personal
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, AFDC has
been replaced by the TANF program (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families).
This Instruction clarifies the issue of what constitutes TANF eligibility
for purposes of determining eligibility for Head Start.
INSTRUCTION:
For a child to be eligible for Head Start services, Head Start grantees
must verify that the child meets the requirements regarding age and be
from a "low-income" family. (Alternatively, grantees may enroll
the child as part of the enrollees who can be from "over-income"
families, as allowed by 45 CFR Part 1305 and, if applicable, by Section
645(a)(2) and (d) of the Head Start Act.). A low-income family is a family
whose income before taxes is below the poverty line or a family that is
receiving public assistance, even if the family's income exceeds the poverty
line. Children in foster care are also Head Start eligible, regardless
of family income. Public assistance means that the family is receiving
benefits or services through the TANF or SSI programs. (Before the passage
of TANF in 1996, public assistance meant that a family was receiving benefits
through AFDC or SSI.)
TANF is in many ways a much more complex program than AFDC because States
have great flexibility in determining the types of benefits they provide
to participating families. This may make the issue of deciding who is
and who is not to be considered a TANF recipient more difficult than it
was under AFDC.
In determining a family's Head Start eligibility, grantees should consider
a family as receiving public assistance if the family is receiving benefits
or services, funded under the authority of the TANF program, which are
being provided on a regular (i.e., not episodic) basis. Some of the types
of services which would be considered as TANF benefits or services include,
but are not necessarily limited to, cash payments, vouchers and other
forms of benefits designed to meet the family's ongoing basic needs, supportive
services such as transportation, subsidized child care and employment-related
services such as job training.
All Head Start programs should become familiar with their State and/or
county TANF program to help facilitate the process of determining eligibility
for Head Start.
Questions on this matter should be referred to your ACF Regional Office
or, as appropriate, the American Indians or Migrant Programs Branches.
/S/
Patricia Montoya
Commissioner
Administration on Children, Youth and Families
