Section 703.170 - TAFDC Learnfare(A)Requirements. A dependent child younger than 16 years old must attend school regularly.(1)Submission of Quarterly School Attendance Verification(a) A grantee must verify the dependent child's attendance at a private school, public school or an approved home school program, unless a grantee is disabled (see106 CMR 703.100) .(b) Verification of the dependent child's attendance must be submitted within 14 calendar days of the end of a school quarter and include the number of unexcused absences in that quarter.(2)Probationary Status(a) A grantee is placed in a probationary status when the documentation required by 106 CMR 703.170(A)(1): 1. is not submitted without good cause (see106 CMR 703.170(A)(2)(e)) ; or2. shows the dependent child had more than eight unexcused absences in the previous school quarter.(b) The Department will notify the school and the grantee when the grantee is placed in probationary status. The grantee shall have the opportunity to dispute the information concerning unexcused absences with the Department. An absence shall be considered excused for one or more of the following reasons:1. illness as certified by a physician or a written statement from the grantee if the illness was less than five consecutive school days;2. hospitalization certified by hospital records;3. a disability that would qualify for an exemption (see106 CMR 703.100) ;4. death of a family member verified by a death certificate or death notice;5. religious holidays; or6. a crisis situation as approved by the school principal or designee.(c) A grantee in probationary status must submit, by the fifteenth of each month, documentation for the previous month showing the number of unexcused absences for the dependent child.(d) A grantee shall remain in probationary status for six months, or until such time as the number of unexcused absences during a rolling period of the six preceding school months is ten or less, whichever is longer.(e) Good cause exists when the grantee has taken all necessary steps on his or her part to get the documentation but the school has been unable to meet the request.(3)Sanctions. If the grantee is in probationary status, the dependent child, whose unexcused absences brought about by the probationary status, will be sanctioned, and the cash reduced by the dependent child's portion of the grant, when the school documentation: (a) is not submitted without good cause (see106 CMR 703.170(A)(2)(e)) ; or(b) shows the dependent child had more than three unexcused absences during any month in the probationary period. If the only dependent child is sanctioned, the grantee may constitute an assistance unit of one.
The Department will notify the school and the Department of Children and Families when a dependent child has been sanctioned for three consecutive months to assist in addressing the problems associated with the child's school attendance.
(B)Verifications. (1) Verification of school attendance shall be by a method specified by the Department. The Department may establish procedures to obtain school verification directly from school institutions or school districts.(2) Verification of the grantee's disability shall be in accordance with 106 CMR 703.100.(3) Verification of an approved home school program shall be a written statement from the local school authority attesting to the approved home school program arrangement and a written statement from the home school program provider.Adopted by Mass Register Issue 1360, eff. 3/9/2018.Amended by Mass Register Issue 1396, eff. 5/15/2019.