WIA Youth Eligibility Training 2010 Presentation Welcome to the Department of Economic Opportunity’s WIA Training Series, a series developed to help make Workforce Investment guidance, policies, and rulings easier to understand and implement. The WIA youth program is set up to help young people obtain the educational and occupational skills needed to provide long-term employment. This training module reviews the eligibility requirements for participation in the Youth program, and describes the items needed to document this eligibility.

General Eligibility To participate in WIA programs, youth must meet general eligibility requirements. Case managers must maintain documentation that supports the determination of eligibility. Age (14 – 21) Citizenship or Authorization to Work Selective Service Registrant (males 18+) To participate in WIA programs, youth must meet general eligibility requirements. There are three general eligibility items required for the youth program: Age, Citizenship or Authorization to work, and Selective Service Registrant if applicable. WIA law requires the individual to be at least 14 years of age at the time of participation, be a US citizen or an alien authorized to work in the US, and have registered with the Selective Service System for males 18 and older. General eligibility for WIA is addressed in a separate presentation. Case managers must maintain documentation that supports the determination of eligibility.

Youth Eligibility Requirement To be determined eligible for WIA services, a youth must be determined low-income and have an identified barrier to employment. [WIA Section 101(13)] Exception – 5% Window: A small number of individuals (5% of youth participants) who do not meet the low-income definition may be served if they meet one of the conditions listed in WIA Section 129(c)(5). To be served with WIA funds, a youth must be determined to meet the low-income criterion. All low-income youth must also have an identified barrier to employment. The law allows not more than 5% of youth participants in a local area to be youth who do not meet the low-income criteria if they experience one or more specified conditions. This exception is referred to as the 5% window.

Low-Income Public Assistance Low-income definition WIA Section 101(25) 1. Public Cash Assistance – an individual who receives or is a member of a family that receives public cash assistance. Verification Public Assistance Records/ Printout There are six categories of low-income. The first one applies to an individual who receives public cash assistance or who is a member of a family that receives public cash assistance in the current month. The most common forms of cash assistance are TANF and SSI.

Low-Income Food Stamps 2. Food Stamps – an individual who receives or was determined eligible to receive Food Stamps in the last six months. Verification Public assistance records/printout Current authorization to obtain food stamps The second category applies to a client who is a member of a household that receives Food Stamps. This criterion is met if the household received Food Stamps (or was determined eligible for Food Stamps) within the 6-month period prior to the application.

Low-Income Homeless 3. Homeless – an individual that lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence. Any individual who has a primary night-time residence that is: a. a publicly or privately operated shelter; b. an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; c. a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation; or d. Runaway Youth Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act Section 103 (a) and (c) The third category applies to individuals who are homeless. The definition of homeless comes from the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. This criterion applies to an individual that lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence. The criterion also applies to an individual who has a primary night-time residence that is: a. a publicly or privately operated shelter; b. an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or c. a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation. Runaways are also included in the definition of homeless. This includes children and youth who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; or living in hotels, motels or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations; or living in emergency or transitional shelters; or abandoned in the hospitals; or awaiting foster care placement. Of course, this definition includes youth who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings.

Low-Income Homeless Homeless does not include an individual imprisoned or detained under an Act of Congress or State Law. An individual who may be sleeping in a temporary accommodation while away from home should not, as a result of that alone, be recorded as homeless. Verification Written statement from an individual providing temporary assistance or social service agency Applicant statement/self attestation, in limited cases Homeless does not include an individual imprisoned or detained under an Act of Congress or State Law. An individual who may be sleeping in a temporary accommodation while away from home should not, as a result of that alone, be recorded as homeless.

Low-Income Foster Child 4. Foster Child – a foster child on behalf of whom state or local government payments are made Verification Court records Verification of payments made on behalf of child Written statement from state/local agency The fourth category applies to a foster child for whom government payments are made. To verify that a youth is a foster child, one may use the following methods: Court records, verification of payments made on behalf of the youth, or a written statement from a state or local agency.

Low-Income Family Income Received an income, or is a member of a family that received income For the 6-month period prior to the application That, in relation to the family size does not exceed the higher of: The poverty line 70% of the Lower Living Standard Income Level (LLSIL) The family income determination must be made if the client does not meet one of the four low-income criteria described on the previous slides. This process is more complex, as a case manager must verify the following elements: Family size. Includable income for each family member. Determination of whether the family income falls below the poverty level. This process is described at length in a separate PowerPoint presentation and will not be addressed in detail here.

Low-Income Individual with Disability 6. Individual with a Disability (Family of One) An individual with a disability Whose family income exceeds the poverty level and 70% of the Lower Living Standard Income Level (LLSIL) Whose own income meets the poverty level or 70% of the LLSIL An individual who does not meet one of the automatic low-income criteria and whose family income exceeds the poverty level may still be determined low income if he or she meets the following criteria: The youth has a documented disability, and The youth’s own personal income falls below the poverty level. In such a situation, the family size will be shown as 1. And the youth’s income will be recorded in the State’s Management Information System. This criterion is addressed in more detail in a separate PowerPoint presentation.

Regular Youth Barriers WIA law requires that low-income youth also face a “barrier”. Specific barriers are described in WIA 101(13)(C): Basic Skills Deficient – reading, writing, or math skills below 9th grade School Dropout – no longer attending any school and has not received high school diploma or equivalent Homeless, Runaway, or Foster Child Pregnant or Parenting Offender – has been subject to any stage of criminal justice process Youth entering the program based on meeting the low-income criterion must meet at least one of the following barriers: Basic Skills Deficient. School dropout. Homeless, runaway, or foster child. Pregnant or parenting youth. Offender.

Regular Youth Barriers An individual who requires additional assistance to complete an educational program or to secure and hold employment will be eligible for WIA services even without one of the listed barriers shown on the previous slide. Note: Definitions and eligibility verification criteria for the “requires additional assistance to complete an educational program, or to secure and hold employment” standard must be established by the Local Board. Local boards are allowed to add to the regular youth barriers , as the WIA law recognizes that other individuals may require additional assistance to complete an educational program or to secure and hold employment. To that end, a local board must define what these “require additional assistance” barriers will be. Local definitions must be descriptive and verifiable. Examples of some local barriers: Incarcerated parent. School absenteeism (more than so many absences during a certain period). Fired from previous job in last 6 to12 months. The mere repetition of “requires additional assistance to complete an educational program or to secure and hold employment” is not descriptive or verifiable.

5% Window Barriers School Dropout Basic Skills Deficient Pregnant or Parenting Homeless or Runaway Offender At Grade Level below age-appropriate grade Individual with a Disability Youth who are not low-income may still be served if they meet one of the following 5% window barriers. Most of these barriers are the same as the regular barriers discussed earlier in this presentation: School dropout. Basic skills deficient. Pregnant or parenting. Homeless or runaway. Offender. Two additional 5% Window Barriers apply to: 1) individuals who are one or more grade levels below the age-appropriate grade, and 2) individuals with a disability.

5% Window Barriers The definition of an individual with a disability comes from the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102, et seq.) : A disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the person's major life activities. The definition for an individual with a disability comes from the Americans with Disabilities Act, also known as the ADA. A disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the person’s major life activities.

5% Window Barriers An individual who faces serious barriers to employment as identified by the local board. Note: Definitions and eligibility verification criteria for the “faces serious barriers to employment” standard must be established by the Local Board. Here again local boards are allowed to add to 5% Window barriers , as the WIA law recognizes that other individuals may face serious barriers to employment. To that end, a local board must define what these “faces serious barriers to employment” barriers will be. Some regions use the same conditions as Regular Barriers and 5% Window Barriers. Local definitions must be descriptive and verifiable. Additional examples: Resides in a high-crime area. Attends alternative education or dropout prevention. History of child/spousal abuse in the family. The mere repetition of “faces serious barriers to employment” is not descriptive or verifiable.

Quiz 1 An individual must be at least 16 to be eligible for WIA youth services. True False Answer: False. Youth services are available to youth age 14 or older.

Quiz 2 An original social security card demonstrates that a client is authorized to work in the United States unless… A social security card is acceptable to demonstrate employment authorization UNLESS the card has a notation on its face that the card does not authorize employment in the U.S.

Quiz 3 A youth whose mother receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI) meets the low-income criterion. True False Answer: True. SSI is a form of public cash assistance.

Quiz 4 Which of the following 5% Window barriers are also regular barriers? Select all that apply. School Dropout Basic Skills Deficient At Grade Level below age-appropriate grade Pregnant or Parenting Individuals with Disabilities Homeless or Runaway Offender Answer: a, b, d, f, g. Regular barriers include: School Dropout. Basic Skills Deficient. Homeless, Runaway or Foster Child. Pregnant or Parenting. Offender.

Questions or Additional Information Isabelle Potts Government Operations Consultant II E-Mail: Isabelle.Potts@deo.myflorida.com Telephone Number: (850) 921-3148 Corey McCaster E-Mail: Corey.McCaster@deo.myflorida.com Telephone Number: (850) 921-7402 If you have any question or for additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact one of our WIA policy and technical assistance staff. Thank you.