Welfare reform in Georgia 2017

WELFARE REFORM IN GEORGIA: 2007 2017
Senate Bill 104 The enabling legislation for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program in Georgia is Senate Bill 104, now known as Act 389. The major provisions are: Most recipients are limited to 48 months of TANF assistance. All adult TANF recipients and all eligible parents are mandated to participate in approved work
activities. All adult TANF recipients are required to sign a personal responsibility plan that emphasized
the fact that they must take personal responsibility to better their lives.
Some of the required actions include: - ensuring that minor children attend school - attending school conferences - attending family planning counseling - participating in substance abuse treatment, if needed - having children immunized, and - obtain prenatal care, if needed Teen parents are required to continue to live with a parent or responsible relative, and must remain in school to obtain their GED or high school diploma. Family cap measures were strengthened, so that TANF cash assistance was not increased for recipients who had another child after receiving TANF for ten months. Families who did not meet work or personal responsibility requirements could be sanctioned, with a reduction or termination of benefits for three (3) months or 12 months, depending on the number of infractions.
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
In August 1996, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) was enacted. PRWORA eliminated the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) cash entitlement program and replaced it with the TANF block grant. PRWORA effectively ended welfare entitlement, replacing the AFDC program with the time-limited benefits of TANF. The purpose of this legislation is to: Provide assistance to needy families so that children could be cared for in their own homes; Reduce welfare dependency by promoting job preparation, work and marriage;
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Prevent teen pregnancies; and
Encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.
PRWORA established mandatory work and job training participation rates for recipients and enacted time limits for the receipt of TANF benefits. Moreover, PRWORA afforded states greater flexibility in the design and implementation of the TANF program and provided each state a block grant to fund its program. State Maintenance of Effort (MOE) spending levels were mandated so that states would maintain levels of spending consistent with previous spending for AFDC. In the fall of 1996, Georgia submitted a state plan for administering the TANF program. Following a 45-day federal review period and a series of public hearings, the plan was accepted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Georgia was approved to receive its share of the TANF block grant. The first TANF checks were issued on January 1, 1997. In past years, the most important aspect of the case manager's job was issuing welfare benefits. With the 1996 introduction of Work First, the emphasis shifted to helping case managers assist TANF recipients in maintaining employment, as well as seeking career advancement. Customers are not just expected to get a job, but to keep the job and seek advancement. They are expected to earn enough money to leave the welfare rolls. As a result, our TANF caseloads greatly declined.
New Developments In October 2004, Georgia initiated a new service delivery strategy for TANF called TANF = WORK NOW. This strategy focused on 3 elements: (1) Education - TANF participants were educated at the point of application on all the goals and requirements of the TANF program. (2) Engagement - TANF participants with a work requirement were engaged in work activities within seven (7) days of the approval of their application. (3) Monitoring - TANF participants were monitored consistently and frequently to ensure adherence to program requirements. This concept yielded a significant decrease in the number of Total TANF Cases, in particular, the number of Adult Cases on TANF. In April 2006, Georgia took TANF = Work Now a step further by focusing on values and beliefs that would assist in strengthening Georgia's families. New policies were implemented and case managers were trained on the principles of case management. The values and beliefs that we espouse are:
Welfare is not good enough for any family.
Government cannot and should not take the place of family.
Children are better off when responsible caretakers are able to provide for their families.
There is dignity in work, whether with the hand or the head.
Georgia urges responsible adult behavior and economic self-sufficiency to end dependency on government assistance.
With proper preparation, support and supervision, we can help our customers create a more secure employment future for themselves.
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In October 2006, Georgia recognized the need for additional transitional supports to assist participants with job retention and career advancement, thereby, launching the Work Support Program. In February 2008, the Final Rule for the Reauthorization of TANF was released by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) / HHS. This rule was based on changes required by the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005. According to the DRA final document (45 CFR, Parts 261, 262, 263, and 265. pg. 6772), "The DRA reauthorized the TANF program through federal fiscal year (FFY) 2010 with a renewed focus on work, program integrity, and strengthening families through healthy marriage promotion and responsible fatherhood." The DRA retained most of the original welfare reform law. The key changes in the final rule were: (1) defined each of the 12 countable work activities, (2) defined the term "work eligible individual," (3) clarified that a State may count only actual hours of participation, (4) recalibrated the caseload reduction credit by updating the base year from FFY 1995 to FFY 2005, (5) required each State to establish and maintain work participation verification procedures through a Work Verification Plan, (6) established a new penalty for failure to comply with work verification procedures, and (7) allows additional pro-family expenditures to count toward a State's MOE requirement.
Also in FFY 2010, the agency rolled out a new business process, Georgia Re-engineering Our Work (G.R.O.W.). The G.R.O.W. process established three functions that case managers focus on (1) interviewing applicants, (2) processing applications, and (3) finalizing applications. An applicant in North Georgia applying for benefits could be interviewed by a case manager in Middle Georgia. The application could then be transmitted to a case manager in West Georgia for processing, and transmitted to another location for finalization or approval. After approval, the case was transferred back to the county where the applicant resided. The G.R.O.W. process symbolized the concept of doing more with less.
In FFY 2011, the Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) added a new process, Document Imaging System (DIS). The document imaging system gave public assistance customers the option to scan in documents from a home computer scanner, a scanning station in a public community center, such as the Community Action Agencies/Authorities (CAA's), certain child support offices, or local Georgia Division of Family and Children's Services (DFCS) offices. Customers who were employed and unable to report to a local DFCS office could renew their benefits online and scan the required supporting documents to an image repository where the case manager or other staff could access the documents.
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In FFY 2012, DFCS revisited the G.R.O.W. process to reevaluate its effectiveness. During the evaluation, it became evident that the work could not change, but the way the work was done could. Business Operations Planning (B.O.P.) was added. B.O.P. is: (1) the standardization of G.R.O.W. within each Region. All Regions would use the same procedures to complete a case from start to finish. (2) Self-service was the standardized lobby resource, (3) Document Imaging (DIS), (4) Telecommunications Local Office call center model, and (5) Office of Financial Independence (OFI) Data Tool Standardized data management. OFI Teams were formed to ensure standardization. The OFI Teams consisted of: (1) Customer Support, (2) Business Support, and (3) Eligibility Specialists. Our customer support staff supported all walk-in work and was the face of DFCS. The business support staff scanned mail to DIS, answered general inquiries, registered and initiated cases. The eligibility specialists keyed cases, interviewed applicants, finalized cases and handled case maintenance. With these measures in place, we were striving to provide our customers with a timely and efficient outcome.
In an effort to improve the overall service of the public assistance programs, Georgia focused on improving the process to provide convenient access, service accountability, and improve the customer experience. Georgia One was a combination of technology (DIS and COMPASS) acquired in FY 2013 and incorporated self-service options that allowed DFCS to provide Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), TANF, Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS), and Medicaid recipients the opportunity to track and manage their case. This change helped us serve our customers more efficiently and effectively. In an effort to find the best way to serve its people, the State reached out to all public assistance programs to map current processes. In March 2015, Georgia began to find more effective ways to help provide eligibility services and improve customer service. Georgia Gateway will allow interested parties to research information about available public assistance programs online. Future enhancements will include online application and eligibility criteria for other participating public assistance programs such as SNAP, CAPS, Medicaid, Women, Infants, Children (WIC), and PeachCare for Kids (PCK). Georgia Gateway is being implemented concurrently with a new business model known as "One Caseworker, One Family", which streamlines the case management process by assigning one caseworker from application to completion.
Georgia has made the necessary changes to be compliant with the final rule. The most significant change was new internal control guidelines, requiring major system changes.
In 2017, Georgia implemented Georgia Gateway, its state-of-the-art integrated system for determining benefits eligibility. Georgia Gateway allows the determination of eligibility and maintenance of benefits for seven health and human services programs: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP/Food Stamps); Medicaid Assistance (Medicaid, PeachCare for Kids, Planning for Healthy Babies, and Aged, Blind, and Disable Medicaid); Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); Childcare and Parents Services (CAPS); Women Infants, and Children (WIC); and Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Gateway replaces COMPASS as the new self-service portal that allows customers to manage their benefits for multiple public assistance programs. Ultimately, the goal of Georgia Gateway is to reduce paperwork for state and local staff, streamline benefits management for customers, and enhance the ability to prevent fraudulent activities within the programs.
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TANF Adult CASELOADS
SFY 2007 thru SFY 2017

50,000 45,000 40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000
5,000 0

3,392 2,273 2,952 3,250 3,442 4,079 3,861 2,917 2,416 2,046 1,956
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

TANF Adult Caseloads
As we continue our mission to help TANF recipients attain self-sufficiency, our adult TANF caseload is decreasing. The TANF Adult Caseload has dropped from 3,392 in 2007 to 1,956 in 2017. The decrease is 1,436 cases within a 10 year period.

Collaborative Efforts
To assist Georgia's TANF recipients fulfill the requirements of Act 389 and attain self-sufficiency, it was necessary that we collaborate with other public service agencies and entities. To start, we formed partnerships with Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) and the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) to develop a job-ready workforce. Each agency committed to providing specific services to TANF recipients, while DHS provided case management and support services. TCSG was the primary source for job training and GDOL focused on job development and placement.
The services provided through these partnerships have contributed greatly to the families receiving TANF. The recipients utilized the job training, job development and job placement

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resources from our partners to gain or refresh their skills; thus, becoming more marketable. The services also helped some find better jobs and leave the TANF program.

TANF CASELOADS
SFY 2007 thru SFY 2017

140,000

120,000

100,000

80,000

60,000

40,000 20,000

26,110 21,318 20,803 19,988 19,256 18,286 17,109 14,600 12,924 12,408 11,309

0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

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In SFY 2007, Georgia had 26,110 cases on its TANF roll. The current total number of cases on TANF in Georgia for SFY 2017 is 11,309. Georgia has reduced its rolls by approximately 43% in ten years.
Transportation Transportation expenditures greatly increased with the implementation of TANF and subsequently decreased as the number of TANF cases declined. DHS/DFCS offers two transportation work support options: direct payment to applicants and recipients and transportation services through DHS' Consolidated Transportation System. Although funds were available for transportation expenses, transportation services were not readily available, particularly in rural areas. In SFY 2000, DHS/DFCS collaborated with the Georgia Office of Facilities and Support Services to expand the Consolidated Transportation System. TANF funds invested in this initiative have increased from $345,000 in SFY 2000 to $2,341,221 in SFY 2017. In SFY 2017, TANF funds paid directly to applicants and recipients totaled $733,076.
Work Support Payments In addition to partnerships with other agencies, the availability of work support payments is critical to the success of TANF self-sufficiency efforts. In order to secure and maintain employment, many families require assistance with transportation, childcare, and medical expenses as well as assistance in obtaining child support. WSP and Transitional Support Services (TSS) will be provided for applicants and participants who find employment and become ineligible for on-going TANF or decline TANF to stop the TANF clock. Both services will be provided to applicants and participants for twelve (12) months. Employment Intervention Services (EIS) EIS is available to TANF applicants who have full time employment but is temporarily on unpaid leave due to a temporary illness and is scheduled to return to work within four (4) months, and the AU meets the gross income ceiling (GIC) test.
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TANF Subsidies
Entitlement Code 98: Work Support Payments $200 Number of Clients
State Fiscal Years 2011 - 2017

1,200

1,000

800

600

400

200

0

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

SFY 2017 956

972

974

1,016

1,022

1,029

1,032

1,000

976

1,005

953

915

SFY 2016 295

378

436

535

670

754

807

878

889

934

972

845

SFY 2015

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

7

47

154

219

SFY 2014

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

SFY 2013

0

2

2

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

SFY 2012 233

196

152

113

68

44

10

1

0

1

1

0

SFY 2011 196

201

205

195

208

201

190

184

185

193

206

187

Comparison of Cash Assistance and Childcare Expenditures in Millions of Dollars
SFY 2007 thru SFY 2017

$250 $200

$161

$219
$191 $175

$212 $167

$226 $174

$172

$209 $206

$204

$181

$150 $118

$100

$86

$50

$62 $54

$50 $51 $51 $47

$45 $40 $34

$32 $28

$0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

TANF Cash Assistance Childcare Subsidies

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Number of Children in Childcare
(Based on payments processed)
State Fiscal Year 2010 2017

90,000 80,000 70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000
0
SFY2017 SFY2016 SFY2015 SFY2014 SFY2013 SFY2012 SFY2011 SFY2010

Jul 57,786
100 60,421 60,682 47,473 52,984 79,754 55,347

Aug 60,709
193 60,080 60,306 47,663 53,191 82,156 59,889

Sep 57,016
375 61,488 61,364 47,425 48,580 75,212 58,531

Oct 56,862 1,204 61,458 61,737 49,894 48,440 69,958 60,264

Nov 55,036 36,524 62,114 63,347 49,754 46,444 70,710 62,439

Dec 53,976 47,510 62,877 61,580 51,055 45,321 68,547 61,684

Jan 53,120 50,565 61,564 61,735 50,927 44,775 66,585 63,020

Feb 50,577 54,225 62,145 61,508 52,457 43,342 63,815 65,712

Mar 49,186 54,938 63,336 63,114 54,217 43,289 62,105 70,076

Apr 47,837 56,711 61,381 62,618 57,467 45,601 61,477 72,020

May 47,222 60,481 60,557 63,851 58,243 46,531 61,765 78,371

Jun 41,901 57,702 57,210 62,388 58,103 45,743 55,560 78,289

Childcare
Affordable, quality childcare is essential to the success of individuals obtaining and maintaining employment. The average number of children in childcare from month to month decreased from 78,289 children in SFY 2010 to 41,901 in SFY 2017. In addition, expenditures in the program decreased from $212M in SFY 2010 to $204M in SFY 2017. Childcare continues to be one of the largest programs managed by case managers at the county level. As of December 2017, CAPS began making its final transition to Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL). DECAL is now managing all new applications and providing full customer service to CAPS customers.

Medicaid
Many TANF recipients beginning first-time employment were either unable to afford the medical insurance made available to them by their employers or found that few employers offered the option of medical insurance. The combination of Low Income Medicaid (LIM), Transitional Medical Assistance (TMA), and Right from the Start Medicaid (RSM) or PeachCare for Kids (PCK) provided and continues to provide this necessary coverage. The 12-month continuation of Medicaid in the form of TMA provides necessary medical coverage for families who become ineligible for LIM as a result of new or increased earned income. Once TMA ends, the children

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of most families are eligible for additional coverage through RSM or PCK. As of June of 2017, there were 212,729 Georgia families that received Medicaid through ABD, LIM, TMA, and RSM.

Increasing Success in Collecting Child Support

(Collections in Millions)

$800 $700 $651 $600

$566

$595

$600

$708

$692

$682

$703

$721

$737

$804

$500

$400

$300

$200

$100

$0 SFY07 SFY08 SFY09 SFY10 SFY11 SFY12 SFY13 SFY14 SFY15 SFY16 SFY17

Child Support Insufficient child support prevents many single parents from attaining economic self-sufficiency. Increased collections by the Division of Child Support Services (DCSS) program are helping families receive more of the child support owed to them. There was a drop in the amount of child support collected from SFY 2007 ($651M) to SFY 2008 ($566M). The collections rebounded in FY 2009 ($595M), in 2010 ($600M), in 2011 ($708M) and then slightly decreased in 2012 to ($692M) and again in 2013 ($682M). Child Support collections rebounded in 2014 to ($703M). In 2015 and 2016 there was a slight increase collections, the total amount collected was ($721M) and (737M) respectively. In 2017, the collection amount increased to ($804M). An additional support service provided by DCSS is the Georgia Fatherhood Program, a statewide outreach program designed to increase the collection of child support from non-custodial parents with education and employment barriers. Job training is provided to assist non-custodial parents in securing employment that will enable them to pay child support and provide for their children.
Collaborative Work Supports The future of welfare reform in Georgia includes a continuing focus on moving families to economic independence, through stable employment. Most recipients who remain on TANF fall
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into three main categories. The first and largest is comprised of children who receive TANF in "child-only" cases, which a non-parent relative is caring for the children and is not included in the TANF grant. These families are not subject to time limits or work requirements. The second category consists of recipients who are enrolled in an activity and participating at the required federally, mandated level for adults receiving TANF for themselves and their children. The third and most challenging category consists of recipients who are dealing with multiple barriers to selfsufficiency. Some of these barriers include substance abuse, illiteracy, disabilities, and domestic violence issues. The following initiatives continue to assist these recipients in attaining selfsufficiency:
The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) and Addictive Diseases provide substance abuse counseling and treatment through outpatient and residential facilities. Treatment for clients who have been diagnosed with mental impairment and mental retardation is also provided.
The Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA) provides disability assessments for recipients who allege a disability that impedes their ability to work. GVRA also places recipients in appropriate programs based on assessment outcomes and makes recommendations that assist DFCS in planning services to help recipients overcome barriers to employment.
The TCSG provides expanded adult literacy services.
Domestic violence issues have been emphasized through various measures. Contracts have been signed with local shelters to provide assessments for individuals claiming domestic violence as a barrier to becoming self-sufficient. Waivers from certain program requirements may be granted based on assessment outcomes. Training is provided for DFCS staff. Brochures and posters are distributed throughout local areas to increase awareness of available services.
Lifetime Limits In Georgia, the receipt of TANF is limited to 48 months in a lifetime for an assistance unit. Beginning in January 1997, each month in which an assistance unit receives TANF, counts toward the 48-month lifetime limit. The federal lifetime limit is 60 months. An assistance unit that is subject to the lifetime limit may have the limit waived if it is determined that the assistance unit meets certain hardship criteria. TANF received by a recipient from another State is subject to be counted in the lifetime time limits.
Hardship waivers
Some families will require additional time to prepare for work and some may never be fully selfsufficient. For these families, Georgia has established a hardship waiver policy that is approved on a case-by-case basis. The waiver of the lifetime limit allows for temporary extensions of TANF to families experiencing additional barriers.
The hardship waiver policy was revised in April 2006. There are three hardship criteria for case managers to use to evaluate each family's situation.
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1. The AU meets the domestic violence criteria.
2. The AU has an active child protective services case and the circumstances necessitating the CPS case create a barrier to the AU's attainment of self-sufficiency.
3. The disability of the grantee relative, other eligible adult or a household member is a barrier to employment for the grantee relative or other eligible adults.
Other forms of support, Food Stamps, Medicaid, shelter and utility assistance, are available to families that do not meet any of the hardship criteria.
Georgia's TANF caseload totaled 50,996 cases in December 2000 when the first 1,446 families reached the 48-month time limit. Of those families, 1,094 met a hardship criteria and were eligible for extended TANF benefits through hardship waivers. Since December 2000, the number of families reaching the 48-month time limit has consistently decreased.
In December 2005, another milestone in the TANF program was reached. There were 311 Georgia TANF recipients that reached the federally imposed 60-month TANF lifetime limit. Of the 311 recipients, 280 continued to be eligible under a hardship extension. As with the 48-month time limit, the number of families reaching the 60-month federal lifetime limit has decreased. In June 2002, there were 1,566 families receiving a hardship extension, but in June 2005 there were only 230 families receiving extensions. In June of 2006, 49 families received an extension, and in June 2009, Georgia had only 18 families who received a hardship extension. In June 2010, there were only two households that received a hardship extension. In 2012, there was one household receiving a hardship extension. In 2013, there were no households receiving a hardship extension. As of 2017, there are still no households receiving a hardship extension.

TANF Hardship Extensions June of the Year from 2007 to 2017

30

19

18

20
16

10

2

2 1

0

0

0 0

0

0

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

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Teen Pregnancy Prevention
The scope of the problem: During 1998 to 2009, the birth rate among girls in Georgia 15-19 years old declined 25.7%, from 63.9 births per 1,000 females in 1998 to 47.5 in 2009. This decline continued in 2010 at 13.3% from 2008 and 35.5% from 1998. During that same period 1998 to 2010, the teen birth rate for non-Hispanic White adolescents declined 41.9%. The decline in the teen birth rate among non-Hispanic African-Americans was 42.9% and 27.6% among Hispanic adolescents.
Today, more teen mothers are unmarried than in past generations. In 2010, 87.7% of teens that gave birth were not married, compared to 77.2% in 1998. Single-parent families, especially young families, are at a greater risk of emotional and financial instability. Teen mothers are also at greater risk of receiving late or no prenatal care, having a premature birth (<37 weeks) or low birth weight baby (<2,500 grams), and experiencing an infant death (<1 year).
In 2006, 6.0% (1,007) of 15-19 year old mothers had experienced late or no prenatal care. In 2010, 14.1% (2,016) of births to 15-19 year olds were premature, and 11.9% (1,703)
were low birth weight.
Repeat births are common in teens. In 2010, 19.8% of all births among teens 15-19 years old were repeat births. Births to 10-14 year olds made up 1.3% of all births to 10-19 year olds in 2010. While the teen birth numbers have been declining, pregnancy in this age group remains a serious public health concern. In 2010, 365 girls ages 10-14 became pregnant and 184 gave birth. It is imperative that Georgia reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy among adolescents in order to reduce the Georgia teen birth rates.

Proportion of Teen Births by Race/Ethnicity

15 - 19 Year Olds

Hispanic

2010 (N = 14, 285)

2,283 (16.0%)

White 4,711 (33.0%)

Black 6,241 (43.7%)

Progress: Teen birth rates have decreased both in Georgia and nationally. Georgia has made significant progress in reducing teen births and the associated personal and economic costs; but Georgia must continue to reduce the teen birth rate even further by reducing sexual activity and other risky behaviors among unmarried teens. Unintended pregnancies, particularly those occurring very early in a woman's reproductive years, often have adverse health, social, and economic consequences for the mother and her child. Teen pregnancy and out-of-wedlock

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parenting is linked to poverty and welfare dependency. Teenage mothers are more likely to be unmarried, drop out of school, and rely on Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF).
What is the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) Doing? Preventing teen pregnancy is a priority for the Department of Public Health. In partnership with the Georgia Department of Human Services, the DPH addresses teen pregnancy through two programs using a comprehensive approach, the Georgia Adolescent Health and Youth Development Program and the Georgia Women's Health Family Planning Program.
Georgia Adolescent Health and Youth Development (AHYD) Program: The goal of the AHYD program is to prevent teenage pregnancy by helping adolescents to grow up healthy, educated, employable, and connected to their families and communities.
The program was established as a result of a teenage pregnancy prevention initiative funded by the Georgia General Assembly in July 1998. The Adolescent Health and Youth Development Program, is housed in the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Section (HPDPS), within the Department of Public Health (DPH). The AHYD program aims to prevent welfare dependency and improve economic opportunity and responsible parenting.
Currently, funding for the program is administered through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Department of Human Services (DHS). Funds are provided to county health departments and local public health districts to support the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of successful programs that address the broad range of social and economic factors that affect teen behavior, including substance abuse, violence, tobacco use, obesity, and teen sexual activity.
Specifically, the AHYD program provides funding to 13 District AHYD Programs and a Youth Development Coordinator (YDC) in each funded health district. The state office provides ongoing program monitoring as well as capacity building to district and program staff.
District AHYD Programs are operated through county health departments statewide and are located in counties reporting high rates of high school dropouts, HIV/STIs, and/or teen pregnancy.
Youth Development Coordinators (YDC) coordinates efforts between district and county health departments including AHYD Programs. Youth Development Coordinators form critical partnerships with out-of-school programs and county and community agencies, holding workshops with communities, faith-based institutions, and public health leaders to foster collaboration around key adolescent health and youth development issues.
The state AHYD Consultant provides YDCs with ongoing program and fiscal monitoring, technical assistance, training and resources.
Specific strategies: Research shows that successful teen pregnancy prevention programs address the broad range of social and economic factors that affect teen behavior. No single approach is
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effective by itself. In Georgia, a comprehensive approach is utilized. This approach consists of several strategies including the following:
Coordinated district adolescent health services: Health districts and county health departments actively partner with local youth organizations/providers to co-sponsor health education and promotion events, and to assure that youth have access to needed services and opportunities within their communities (e.g., legal services; food and housing assistance, dental services; tutoring and academic support; entrepreneurship; mental health counseling; youth development, physical activity, mentoring and related services). AHYD supports these local partnerships and collaborations by providing funding for a district Youth Development Coordinator to foster collaboration and coordination of efforts throughout Georgia. Annual district and teen center programs' work plans demonstrate local collaboration.
Comprehensive preventive health services: The AHYD programs provide comprehensive prevention services, including abstinence education, drug and alcohol prevention education, and adolescent reproductive health services. Services are offered in teen-friendly facilities where teens feel comfortable. Most of the youth who come for services do so with the knowledge of their parents. Teens come with a wide variety of needs. Teens may ask for information, attend abstinence classes, learn to improve their reaction to stress and conflict, get advice on nutrition and physical activity, obtain sports physicals, be tested for a sexually transmitted disease or pregnancy, join a support group, or just need someone to talk to. These programs also provide youth access to screening for a variety of health problems and when identified, provide or link them to needed services including immunizations and physicals. Teens are referred by their parents, other teens, school staff, caseworkers, community members, and outreach workers.
Abstinence education: Abstinence is the only certain way to eliminate the risk of pregnancy and STDs. It is the primary prevention method promoted across AHYD-funded programs. AHYD programs are funded to emphasize sexual abstinence as the best choice for preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
Outreach and community referral: Local adolescent health and youth development programs coordinate with other professionals and agencies to assist adolescents and their families in obtaining needed AHYD services and information. Specially trained staff with first-hand knowledge and experience working with at-risk teens are regularly available.
Parent education and involvement: Information and education programs are available to help parents strengthen their parenting and communication skills, build strong bonds with their teens, and understand the developmental changes specific to adolescence. Some programs have established a Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) to provide parents a meaningful way to participate in planning, decision-making, and opportunities for positive health promotion in the community. PACs, in collaboration with local public health officials, are responsible for determining the programs and activities offered in each local community.
Faith/health community partnerships: The AHYD program has formed a partnership with members of the faith community and held conferences with community, faith, and public health
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leadership to encourage collaboration and working together for positive youth development and health promotion.
Use of risk reduction strategies: Teen Centers using risk reduction strategies that include contraception must follow the DPH "Standard Protocols for Registered Professional Nurses in Public Health", including encouraging parental involvement, signed informed consent, and distribution of contraceptive devices only in a clinical setting by a health care professional.
Best practices for prevention programs: All prevention programs funded by DPH must incorporate evidence-based practices for effective teen pregnancy and STD prevention programs. In addition, all programs must have a demonstrated impact on key outcomes related to teen pregnancy and STD prevention.
State Capacity Building Efforts: Several teleconference calls were held throughout fiscal year 2016. During the calls the State Adolescent Health and Youth Development Program provided guidance on 1) completing new work plan templates, 2) preparing budgets, 3) preparing reports using a new reporting template, and 4) SMART objectives.
Asset Based Community Development: A state Asset Based Community Development Workshop was held in Atlanta, Georgia. The meeting brought together youth development coordinators, health promotion coordinators and representatives of community based organizations to receive training on maximizing local community resources.
Shaping Policy for Health: The AHYD Youth Development Coordinators were invited to participate in several "Shaping Policy for Health" workshop series facilitated by the Directors of Health Promotion and Education. The workshops included 1) An Introduction to CompetencyBased Practice, 2) Defining the Problem, 3) Proposing a Solution, and 4) Influencing the Change Process.
Georgia's Women Health Family Planning Program: The AHYD program works synergistically with the Georgia Women's Health Family Planning Program, also located in the Department of Public Health, Division of Public Health (Maternal and Child Health Program). It coordinates family planning services through county health departments. These services are essential to the well-being of women, men, adolescents, and the community at large. The Family Planning Program offers opportunities for individuals to plan and space their pregnancies in order to achieve personal goals and self-sufficiency. MCH has developed strategies and implemented services to prevent and reduce repeat adolescent pregnancies, including facilitating referrals to family planning services, increasing community awareness, and promoting life skills and abstinence at the community level. Families, parents, and legal guardians are encouraged to participate in the decision of minors to seek these services. Adolescents are counseled on how to resist coercive attempts to engage in sexual activities. Abstinence, contraceptives safe sex, and pregnancy are discussed with all adolescents. Adolescents are not assumed to be sexually active because they seek family planning services.
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In 2012, AHYD-funded programs accomplished the following program specific outcomes:

Measure 1: Initial visits for adolescent youth development services including abstinence education:

Goal: Progress:

6,665

Outcome

36,126

This was accomplished by providing youth development opportunities through:

community and volunteer service events; blood and food drives; Easter Seals Project;

adult to youth mentoring activities; pregnant and parenting teen support groups; local

university/college teen mentoring programs; curriculum-based educational sessions;

"Firestarter Youth Power"; "Safer Choices"; "Media Madness', "Making a Difference";

"Teens Against Tobacco Use"; "Postponing Sexual Involvement"; "Smart-Girls" and

"Wise-Guys" which provides abstinence-based education with a target populations of

girls and boys considered significantly "at-risk" in middle and high school; leadership

training activities; Red Cross CPR and First-Aid certification classes; public speaking

workshops; summer youth leadership program; life skills and development events;

effective communication workshops; weekly health education sessions; and teen

pregnancy and finance workshops

Measure 2: Goal:
Progress:

Number of professionals for in-service training events

78

Outcome

267

Teen Center staff attended and provided in-service training events such as Sexual

Assault Awareness/Prevention, Teen Pregnancy Prevention, Dropout Prevention, Self-

Esteem/Peer Pressure, Life-Skills Training, Title X online, Training, HIV Counseling

Training, Youth Empowerment Conference, Internet Safety, Linking Parents and

Educators, Drug and Alcohol Awareness, Working with Hispanic Women in Rural

Settings, CPR, Using What Works: Adapting Evidence-Based Programs to Fit Your

Needs, and Coalition Building. Training was provided to 230 professionals, 197 parents,

and 304 youths.

Measure 3: Goal:
Progress:

Number of public awareness and community education events:

113

Outcome

143

Public awareness and adolescent health promotion included the distribution of a bullying

prevention brochure developed with the District Public Information Officer, bulletin boards

designed by Teen Center youth for Alcohol and Drug Prevention to coincide with school

proms, "Got Consent" awareness campaign, distribution of pamphlets and wristbands for

"You Make a Difference" campaign; community fairs, articles in school newspaper, radio

and newspaper advertisements, HIV testing information via Teen Pregnancy Prevention

listserv and Facebook.

TANF Purpose #3: Prevent and reduce the incidence of Out-of-wedlock pregnancies.
FUNDING: Segregated TANF funds
For more information about Adolescent Health and Youth Development Unit Programs, please contact us at 404-657-6638 or visit http://health.state.ga.us/programs/adolescent/

xix

DFCS Afterschool Care Program
The Afterschool Care Program is located within the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) and provides federal funding to non-profit organizations and public agencies who serve youth and families during the out-of-school time. It is designed to support DFCS' goal of providing resources and services that promote self-sufficiency among children and families. By funding services that are provided during before school, after school, intercession and summer hours, the Afterschool Care Program also supports two Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) goals:
(a) Reduce the dependency of needy parents by promoting job preparation, work and marriage. (b) Prevent and reduce unplanned pregnancies among single young adults.
The mission of the Afterschool Care Program is to provide resources to youth-serving organizations within the state of Georgia who serve families within low-to-moderate income communities and the foster care system. The vision of the Afterschool Care Program is to ensure every child and youth has access to high quality youth development programming within their community. Educational attainment, positive youth development and an enhanced well-being are key factors in preventing future welfare dependency among today's youth, particularly youth of economically disadvantaged communities. Through out-of-school time programs, parents and caregivers can ensure their youth have a safe and enriching environment when the traditional school day ends. By providing funding through a Statement of Need (SoN) solicitation process, the Afterschool Care Program partners with community-based organizations and public agencies throughout the state of Georgia who provide services to youth and their families. The goals of the DFCS Afterschool Care Program are to:
Strengthen youth-serving organizations and institutions by providing funding that increases their capacity to design, implement, and sustain quality youth development programs and services;
Provide opportunities for youth to establish positive relationships with their peers and caring adults during traditional non-school day hours; and
Provide technical assistance to organizations and agencies as they implement services and activities that support their youth's overall well-being as they prepare for and transition into young adulthood.
Positive Youth Development Services
Agencies that are funded through the DFCS Afterschool Care Program provide project-based learning activities and/or youth apprenticeship experiences to youth participants that support school day learning and encourage positive transitions into adulthood. In Federal Fiscal Year 2016, funded agencies began implementing STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) based learning opportunities. Through project-based learning activities and apprenticeship-based experiences, youth had the opportunity to learn about 21st century career and educational pathways that support our evolving workforce.
xx

Project-based learning is a hands-on and creative approach to teaching, which provides academic support to students in a way that is fun and engaging. Projects are interdisciplinary in nature and they build on student interest and provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned through the actual completion of the project. The youth apprenticeship experience is a method of engaging youth in work-based skill development training that can assist them in identifying and pursuing certain professional and career choices. Within organizations who implement apprenticeship experiences for their youth, apprenticeships are taught by professionals with real-world experiences in the apprenticeship field selected by the program. Each of these programs includes opportunities for students to participate in other well-being support opportunities, including, but not limited to, health and well-being programming, and family and community engagement..
Funding Allocation and MOE
Since Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2006, the DFCS Afterschool Care Program has partnered with agencies by providing funding for them to serve youth during the out-of-school time. Through this partnership, the Afterschool Care Program has required each partnering agency to provide a match contribution to support the programs and services provided to youth. This match is used to support the Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) and Georgia Division of Family and Children Services' (DFCS) Maintenance of Effort (MOE).
From FFY 2006 to FFY 2017, the Afterschool Care Program funding supported programs and services that served over 25,000 youth annually through after school and summer programs collectively (majority of youth are served through the Georgia Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs) each year. Each year, awarded approximately $15M was awarded to selected agencies with additional Maintenance of Effort (MOE) match support of approximately and $35M or more each year.
Currently (FFY 2018), the Afterschool Care Program is partnering with 37 agencies to provide positive youth development services during the out-of-school time. As in previous programming years, the Georgia Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs continues to serve the largest number of youth and providing the largest amount in match funding for the Department of Human Services and Georgia Division of Family and Children Services' MOE. In FFY 2017, the Afterschool Care Program served more than 26,000 youth through awarded funding.
Partnerships and Collaborations
During FFY 2013, the Afterschool Care Program partnered with other state agencies to provide the first Afterschool and Youth Development (ASYD) Conference in Georgia. In FFY 2014, in partnership with the Governor's Office for Children and Families (GOCF), Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE), and Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services provided the second statewide After School and Youth Development (ASYD) Conference. The conference was held in Augusta, Georgia and over 900 youth development workers, stakeholders and agency representatives attended. During the ASYD
xxi

Conference, the Georgia Afterschool and Youth Development Quality Standards were launched to continue the effort of improving quality and support to youth development and out-of-school time programs within our communities in Georgia. The ASYD Conference was held again in FFY 2016 in Columbus, Georgia with the same emphasis of continuous quality improvement for outof-school time programs. With the statewide partnership to provide the ASYD Conference and in initiating an effort to improve out-of-school time program quality through state after school quality standards, DHS, DFCS, GaDOE and DPH have continued their commitment in working to provide programs and services that do not duplicate efforts throughout the state of Georgia but compliment and support the work of each agency while considering how initiatives, events, programs and services can be offered more streamlined and efficiently.
In both FFY 2016 and FFY 2017, the Afterschool Care Program partnered with the Georgia Department of Public Health's Georgia SHAPE Health Initiative as the official DFCS Afterschool Care Program health program for all participating youth. Youth served through the DFCS Afterschool Care funded programs will participate in Georgia SHAPE approved activities to aid in the overall improvement of their health and wellbeing.
Future Goals and Program Impact
In addition to requiring that all current funded programs have an emphasis on STEAM, the Afterschool Care Program also moved forward with continued implementation of the Afterschool and Youth Development (ASYD) Quality Standards statewide. Through a collective partnership with other state agencies, each funded program will have the opportunity to utilize the established ASYD Self-Assessment Tool to obtain baseline data of their program's quality and create a plan of improvement to be implemented.
The Results of Georgia's PRWORA Initiative Georgia has successfully achieved and in some instances exceeded the goals and requirements of the TANF program as mandated by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, including participation rates, maintenance of effort spending, and reducing the teen pregnancy rates. This effort has enabled thousands of Georgia's citizens to achieve an improved way of life through welfare reform. Children of TANF families observe firsthand the benefits of work, as their parents provide for them a higher standard of living than was possible on welfare. These positive role models will, undoubtedly reduce the likelihood of children becoming future adult TANF recipients. Georgia will continue to demonstrate the successes that have been achieved for its families.
xxii

ACF-196R : Part 1: Expenditure Data

State GEORGIA
1. Awarded

Department of Health and Human Services
Administration for Children and Families Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) ACF - 196R Financial Report
Part 1: Expenditure Data

Grant Year 2017

Fiscal Year 2017

( A ) Federal Funds
State Family Assistance Grant

( B ) State Funds

$329,650,291

Report Quarter Next Quarter

Ending

Ending

09/30/2017

03/31/2018

Report is Submitted as:
New Revised Final

( C ) State Funds

( D ) Federal Funds
Contingency Funds Award Reconciliation FS at FMAP
Rate of .6789

( E ) Federal Funds
Emergency Contingency
Funds (Authorized by
ARRA)

$0

2. Transferred to CCDF Discretionary

$0

3. Transfered to SSBG 4. Adjusted Award 5. Carryover
Expenditure Categories
6. Basic Assistance 6.a. Basic Assistance (excluding Relative Foster Care Maintenance
Payments and Adoption and Guardianship Subsidies) 6.b. Relative Foster Care Maintenance Payments and Adoption and
Guardianship Subsidies 7. Assistance Authorized Solely Under Prior Law
7.a. Foster Care Payments 7.b. Juvenile Justice Payments 7.c. Emergency Assistance Authorized Solely Under Prior Law 8. Non-Assistance Authorized Solely Under Prior Law 8.a. Child Welfare or Foster Care Services 8.b. Juvenile Justice Services

$2,625,206

$327,025,085

$0

Federal TANF Expenditures

State MOE Expenditures in
TANF

MOE Expenditures Separate State
Programs

Expenditures with Contigency
Funds

Expenditures with Emergency
Contigency Funds

$65,730,991

$17,251,752

$0

$0

$32,254,483

$1,630,922

$0

$0

$33,476,508

$15,620,830

$0

$0

$31,787,640

$0

$31,787,640

$0

$0

$0

$0

$0

$0

$0

$0

$0

$0

$0

8.c. Emergency Services Authorized Solely Under Prior Law

$0

$0

9. Work, Education, and Training Activities

$11,240,552

$0

9.a. Subsidized Employment 9.b. Education and Training 9.c. Additional Work Activities 10. Work Supports 11. Early Care and Education 11.a. Child Care (Assistance and Non-Assistance) 11.b. Pre-Kindergarten/Head Start

$7,806,717

$0

$0

$0

$7,363

$0

$0

$0

$3,426,472

$0

$0

$0

$2,529,642

$524,444

$0

$0

$0

$22,182,651

$0

$0

$0

$22,182,651

$0

$0

$0

$0

$0

$0

12. Financial Education and Asset Development 13. Refundable Earned Income Tax Credits

$0

$0

$0

$0

$0

$0

$0

$0

14. Non-EITC Refundable State Tax Credits

$0

$0

$0

$0

3

15. Non-Recurrent Short Term Benefits

$85,275

$0

$0

$0

16. Supportive Services

$968,458

$0

$0

$0

17. Services for Children and Youth

$13,965,334

$39,316,529

$0

$0

18. Prevention of Out-of-Wedlock Pregnancies

$886,182

$0

$0

$0

19. Fatherhood and Two-Parent Family Formation and Maintenance Programs

$0

$0

$0

$0

20. Child Welfare Services

$133,675,667

$88,295,642

$0

$0

20.a. Family Support/Family Preservation /Reunification Services

$117,087,727

$87,820,642

$0

$0

20.b. Adoption Services

$14,164,961

$475,000

$0

$0

20.c. Additional Child Welfare Services

$2,422,979

$0

$0

$0

21. Home Visiting Programs

$0

$0

$0

$0

22. Program Management

$17,557,610

$5,797,509

$0

$0

22.a. Administrative Costs

$13,086,125

$2,022,367

$0

$0

Total Cumulative Administrative Costs

$13,086,125

22.b. Assessment/Service Provision

$3,398,648

$139,744

$0

$0

22.c. Systems

$1,072,837

$3,635,398

$0

$0

23. Other

$0

$0

$0

$0

24. Total Expenditures

$278,427,351 $173,368,527

$0

$0

25. Transitional Services for Employed

$0

$0

$0

$0

26. Job Access

$0

$0

$0

$0

27. Federal Unliquidated Obligations

$23,284,768

$0

28. Unobligated Balance

$25,312,966

$0

29. State Replacement Funds

$0

Quarterly Estimate 30. Estimate of TANF Funds Requested for the Following Quarter

Estimate of TANF Funds
Requested
$0

THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THE INFORMATION REPORTED ON ALL PARTS OF THIS FORM IS ACCURATE AND TRUE TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE AND BELIEF.

Signature, Approving State Official

State Official Name Annissa N. Thompson

State Official Title Grant Manager

State Official Agency GEORGIA

Signature Date: 11/14/2017

Date Submitted: 11/14/2017

4