CFR

98.33—Consumer education.

The Lead Agency shall:

(a) Certify that it will collect and disseminate to parents and the general public consumer education information that will promote informed child care choices including, at a minimum, information about

(1) The full range of providers available, and

(2) Health and safety requirements;

(b) Inform parents who receive TANF benefits about the requirement at section 407(e)(2) of the Social Security Act that the TANF agency make an exception to the individual penalties associated with the work requirement for any single custodial parent who has a demonstrated inability to obtain needed child care for a child under six years of age. The information may be provided directly by the Lead Agency, or, pursuant to § 98.11, other entities, and shall include:

(1) The procedures the TANF agency uses to determine if the parent has a demonstrated inability to obtain needed child care;

(2) The criteria or definitions applied by the TANF agency to determine whether the parent has a demonstrated inability to obtain needed child care, including:

(i) “Appropriate child care”;

(ii) “Reasonable distance”;

(iii) “Unsuitability of informal child care”;

(iv) “Affordable child care arrangements”;

(3) The clarification that assistance received during the time an eligible parent receives the exception referred to in paragraph (b) of this section will count toward the time limit on Federal benefits required at section 408(a)(7) of the Social Security Act.

(c) Include in the biennial Plan the definitions or criteria the TANF agency uses in implementing the exception to the work requirement specified in paragraph (b) of this section.

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