La. Admin. Code tit. 67 § III-5561

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section III-5561 - Early Childhood Education and Parenting Services

A. The Office of Family Support, shall enter into Memoranda of Understanding or contracts to create quality, early childhood education and parenting services programs at various sites, such as schools, Head Start and Early Head Start Centers, churches, Class A Day Care Centers, and Family Child Day Care Homes to provide children with age-appropriate services during the school year, school holidays, summer months and before-and-after school and to provide parents, legal guardians, or caretaker relatives of children with parenting and adult/family educational services. The development of public education materials and training for parents, providers, professionals, and interested parties to educate and promote the services offered by this program and to encourage participation in the programs as well as the Child Care Assistance Program may be included in the contracts or be entered into as specific contracts promote applications for CCAP; assist providers; encourage eligible families to apply for services offered through OFS; and educate parents and others who have an interest in children and families about criteria of quality child care and the needs of young children.

B. Services offered by providers meet TANF goal 3, to prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies by providing supervised, safe environments for children thus limiting the opportunities for engaging in risky behaviors, and TANF goal 4, to encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families by providing educational services to parents or other caretakers to increase their own literacy level and effectiveness as a caregiver, and to foster positive interaction with their children.

C. Eligibility for services is limited to needy families. A needy family is a family in which any member receives a Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP) grant, Kinship Care Subsidy (KCSP) grant, food stamp benefits, Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) services, Title IV-E, Medicaid, Louisiana Children's Health Insurance Program (LaCHIP) benefits, Supplemental Security (SSI), Free or Reduced Lunch, or who has earned income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. A needy family consists of minor children, custodial and non-custodial parents, legal guardians, or caretaker relatives of minor children.

D. Services are considered non-assistance by the agency.

La. Admin. Code tit. 67, § III-5561

Promulgated by the Department of Social Services, Office of Family Support, LR 29:190 (February 2003), amended LR 31:486 (February 2005), LR 34:696 (April 2008).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.; R.S. 46:231 and R.S. 36:474; Act 13, 2002 Reg. Session, Act 18, 2007 Reg. Session.