Missouri Work Assistance (MWA) service providers provide employment and training services to Temporary Assistance (TA) recipients that are referred from the Family Support Division (FSD). The allowable work activities for recipients agree with the approved Work Verification Plan (WVP) which is required per 45 CFR 261.30.
Temporary Assistance (TA) recipients participate in core and non-core hours in allowable work activities that count toward the federal work participation rate. Generally, the core activity hours also count toward the non-core requirement. Refer to Appendix H Hours of Participation Chart, Appendix Q Definitions and Appendix Y Work Activities chart for more information.
Core work activities are the nine activities that count for the first 20 hours of required work participation.
The following core paid employment activities are listed in the order that most likely leads to self-sufficiency for the Temporary Assistance (TA) recipient.
1. Unsubsidized Employment: This paid activity includes any bona-fide job in which the wages are fully paid by the employer (at no cost to the government). Sustaining unsubsidized paid employment is the primary goal for TA recipients. This core activity can also be used to meet non-core work participation requirements.
2. On-the-Job Training (OJT): This paid activity occurs when a public or private employer hires a TA recipient through a contractual arrangement with the Missouri Work Assistance (MWA) contracted service provider to provide hands-on training at the employer's place of business. At the end of the training period the employer hires the TA recipient. Employers are reimbursed from MWA or other federal funds for up to one-half of the employee’s wage during the training period. This core activity can also be used to meet non-core work participation requirements.
3. Subsidized Employment in the Private or Public Sector: Subsidized employment in the private sector is employment by private, for-profit employers; and subsidized employment in the public sector is employment by governmental or other public or non-profit entities. Wages are paid by federal, state, or other public funds. This activity does not guarantee employment, but can give the TA recipient the skills in “regular employment” to lead to unsubsidized employment. This core activity can also be used to meet non-core work participation requirements.
The following core unpaid employment activities are listed in the order that most likely leads to self-sufficiency for the Temporary Assistance (TA) participant. While it is more desirable to place TA participants in paid employment activities, these activities can lead to paid employment and self-sufficiency.
1. Job Search and Job Readiness Assistance: The Job Search and Job Readiness activities are limited to 240 hours for single parent households and 360 hours for all two-parent households for the previous 12-month period. The TA participant can participate in these activities for four consecutive weeks and must take the fifth week “off”, up to the 240/360 hour maximum. This core activity can also be used to meet non-core work participation requirements.
In the job search activity TA participants look for suitable jobs by making contact with potential employers. The TA participant presents himself/herself to a prospective employer as available for work. The prospective employer ordinarily employs persons in areas of work for which the TA participant is reasonably qualified by means of experience, training, or ability.
The job readiness activity involves preparing a TA participant to seek, obtain, and maintain employment through assessments, workshops, classes, and treatment programs.
2. Alternative Work Experience Program (AWEP) / Community Work Experience Program (CWEP): AWEP includes work at employers in the private sector (other than those that provide social services). CWEP is limited to employers or projects that serve a useful public purpose. The TA participant performs volunteer work designed to improve employability when he/she is not otherwise able to obtain sufficient or suitable employment. This activity is used for the TA participant who has “soft skills” (comes to work on time, dresses appropriately, etc) and allows the TA participant to gain “work skills” such as: keyboarding, automotive repair, etc. The number of allowable hours in the AWEP/CWEP activity is limited by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), but a TA participant can be deemed as meeting participation if the FLSA calculation of hours is less than his/her required amount of participation hours. This activity can be used to supplement another activity (other than Community Service) if the TA participant is not meeting the required hours in that activity and additional “work skills” are needed.
3. Community Service Program: The TA participant performs volunteer work designed to improve employability when he/she is not otherwise able to obtain sufficient or suitable employment. This activity is used for TA participants to gain soft skills such as: coming to work on time, dressing appropriately, calling in if going to be late, etc.
The number of Community Service activity hours are limited by the FLSA, but a TA participant can be deemed as meeting participation if the FLSA calculation of hours is less than his/her required amount of participation hours. This activity can be used to supplement another activity (other than AWEP/CWEP) if the TA participant is not meeting the required hours in that activity and additional soft skills are needed.
4. Provision of Child Care Services to Participant in Community Service Program. This is a structured program in which individuals provide child care for participants in approved TANF community service program activities. It is used on a very limited basis for individuals who cannot be placed in other employment activities.
Program participants report actual hours of participation on time sheets and activity logs that report hours of participation for every day of every week in each month.
The Child Care Provider and the MWA Program Administrator sign the time sheet or activity log attesting to the truthfulness of the information provided. The MWA program administrator must ensure that the child care provider has daily supervision, and the daily timesheets or activity logs will document this.
The following are core unpaid educational activities. The Temporary Assistance (TA) recipient should be placed in one of these activities when he/she meets the criteria for the activity.
1. Vocational Education and Training: This unpaid activity includes any formalized training program that prepares TA recipients for current or emerging occupations. This training must lead to a certificate, license, or degree. TA recipients are limited to participating in this activity for 12 months in their lifetime for Missouri Work Assistance (MWA) program purposes. (He/she can continue to attend school, but must complete the required participation hours in other work activities.) This core activity can also be used to meet non-core work participation requirements.
NOTE: This activity can be as beneficial as any employment activity.
2. Satisfactory Attendance in High School/GED: This unpaid activity is allowed for teen parents, up to the month s/he turns age 20, who has not obtained a high school diploma or GED. Activities include: high school, home schooling (where the recipient is the student), GED preparatory classes and testing, and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) classes. This is a core activity. The TA recipient can be “deemed” as meeting participation hours if they attend a full course of instruction in a secondary school.
NOTE: Teen parents are required to participate in this activity. In rare cases, the teen parent may participation in other activities, but is required to complete the same hours as any other adult.
Non-core work activities are the three activities that only count as participation after the 20 hours work participation requirements are met.
NOTE: Non-core work participation requirements may be met by participating in core or non-core activities.
The following are non-core unpaid educational activities. The Temporary Assistance (TA) recipient should be placed in one of these activities when he/she meets the criteria for the activity.
1. Job Skills Training Directly Related to Employment: This unpaid activity includes any training or education for specific job skills required by an employer to provide a TA recipient with the ability to obtain employment or to advance or adapt to the changing demands of the workplace. This is a non-core activity and only satisfies non-core work participation requirements.
2. Education Directly Related to Employment: This unpaid activity is only used when:
TA recipients who have already obtained an overseas diploma may fit into this category if the diploma is not recognized by the employer or potential employer. This is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. This is a non-core activity and only satisfies non-core requirements.