Effective March 31, 2002, the TANF Performance Incentives are eliminated. This is a result of the TANF reconciliation and revised projections of TANF resources, in which the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services implemented a reduction of the TANF spending plan for county departments of job and family services. The TANF spending reduction was announced by ODJFS Director Tom Hayes in a February 4, 2002, memorandum to all county agency directors and to members of the General Assembly. All TANF financial incentives for county departments of job and family services contained in APM Chapter 8000 are rescinded effective March 31, 2002. This reduction eliminates the following TANF Performance Incentives:
- Caseload Savings-effective 12/31/01
- Administrative Savings- effective 3/31/02
- All Family Participation Rate-effective 3/31/02
- Two Family Participation Rate-effective 3/31/02
- Out-Of-Wedlock Birth Rate-effective 3/31/02
The Caseload Savings Incentive will be calculated as originally described in the APMTL 210, dated January 1, 2000, Section 8313 and will be based on caseload reduction data through 12/31/01. APM Section 8313 does not establish a performance methodology to award Caseload Savings Incentives after 12/31/01 and therefore, a county may not earn Caseload Savings Incentives after the quarter ending 12/31/01.
All other Performance Incentives will be calculated as described in the previous APMTL 190 dated April 1, 1998; Sections 8323, APMTL (s) 207, and 208 dated October 1, 1999 and APMTL 210 dated January 1, 2000: Sections 8333, 8343, and 8353. These incentive calculations will be based on related statistical data through 3/31/02. Except for Caseload Savings Incentives, counties may earn Performance Incentives for the first three quarters of SFY02 up to a maximum of seventy-five percent of the total amount that otherwise would have been available for SFY02.
Financial incentives to the county agencies are authorized by RC Section 5101.23 which states, "subject to the availability of funds, the department of job and family services may provide annual financial, administrative, or other incentive awards to county family services agencies...." This statute makes the provision of incentive funds specifically subject to available funding. Similar language was used in the appropriation language of Section 63.09 of Am. Sub. H. B. 94 of the 124th General Assembly which states that ODJFS "may provide financial incentives to those county departments of job and family services that have exceeded performance standards adopted by the state department."
In accordance with Section 5101.21 (D) (5) of the Revised Code, ODJFS has entered into Partnership Agreements with each board of county commissioners which establish, specify, or provide for "annual financial, administrative, or other incentive awards, if any, to be accordance with Section 5101.23 of the Revised Code. This provision has been incorporated into each current Partnership Agreement as Article III, Section (E) (4) as follows:
(E) In compliance with division (D) of Section 5101.21 of the Revised Code, the Board and ODJFS agree to all of the following requirements, as set forth in the APM, as amended, which are incorporated herein:
(4) Financial, administrative, and other incentives available to family services and workforce development agencies in APM Chapters 6000 and 8000;
In Article III (B), the parties to the Partnership Agreements have specifically agreed to comply with the ODJFS Administrative Procedures Manual (APM) and Administrative Procedures Letters (APL) "including new enactments, adoptions, repeals, rescissions, and amendments" to the APM.
Performance standards and sanctions will continue to apply to TANF programs. The ODJFS performance standards and the methodology for the allocation of financial incentives for exceeding these performance standards have been adopted by ODJFS in Chapter 8000 of the Administrative Procedures Manual (APM). This APMTL No. 239 transmits rescissions and amendments to APM Chapter 8000 effective March 31, 2002.
Through the operation of Article III (B) of the Partnership Agreements, the recission of these APM Chapter 8000 TANF financial incentives results in no TANF financial incentives available to county departments of job and family services after March 31, 2002 through Article III (E) (4) of the Partnership Agreement. Food stamp financial incentives established in the APM sections 8400-8414 remain available to county departments of job and family services through Article III (E) (4) of the Partnership Agreement.
Questions regarding this update should be directed to your local Fiscal Supervisor or to the Bureau of County Finance and Technical Assistance at (614) 752-9194.
Instructions:
Remove pages headed 8000 dated April 1, 1998, through 8353 (continued) dated October 1, 1999, and replace with the attached corresponding pages dated April 1, 2002.(APM.8100., APM.8120., APM.8300., APM.8301., APM.8302.)