2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 33 - Human Services › Chapter 10 - Reach First › § 1007. Required participation

§ 1007. Required participation
(a) Each participating adult in a family receiving Reach First services shall participate in necessary assessments and developing a family development plan, if applicable, unless good cause exists for such noncompliance as defined by the Commissioner by rule. The Commissioner may use the same rules applicable to good cause as established in the Reach Up program.
(b)(1) If an adult does not comply with the following requirements without good cause, the Department shall initiate the conciliation process to determine the reason that the adult has not complied with the requirements and shall modify the requirements, if necessary, or provide the adult with a second opportunity to comply:
(A) The single parent or caretaker in a family who has no barriers to obtaining and maintaining a job and a recent and stable work history, including receiving wages for his or her most recent job that, when annualized, equal or exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty level applicable to the family, shall report to the Department of Labor for an immediate job search within two working days of having filed an application.
(B) The able-to-work adult in a two-parent family (when the other parent is able to work part time or unable to work) who has no barriers to obtaining and maintaining a job and a recent and stable work history, including receiving wages for his or her most recent job that, when annualized, equal or exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty level applicable to the family, shall report to the Department of Labor for an immediate job search within two working days of having filed an application.
(C) The adult in a two-parent family (when both parents are able to work) who is not the primary caretaker of the children shall report to the Department of Labor for an immediate job search within two working days of having filed an application.
(2) The Reach First payment may be withheld during the conciliation process and until the adult complies.
(3) If the adult does not report without good cause to the Department of Labor after the second opportunity, the adult shall be denied Reach First and Reach Up.
(c)(1) If an adult does not comply with the following requirements without good cause, the Department shall initiate the conciliation process to determine the reason that the adult has not complied with the requirements and shall modify the requirements, if necessary:
(A) Each participating adult shall participate in the development of his or her family development plan.
(B) Each participating adult who is not referred to the Department of Labor pursuant to this subsection shall report as directed by the Department for assessment and evaluation activities.
(C) Each participating adult shall begin to comply with his or her family development plan requirements as soon as possible, and not later than 10 days following identification of initial requirements at the initial family development plan meeting. Each participating adult shall continue to comply with such family development plan requirements until such time as the family is ineligible or transferred to Reach Up or Reach Ahead. If a family is transferred to another program, the rules of that program apply.
(2) If conciliation is unsuccessful, the Department may apply the Reach Up sanctions and transfer the family to the Reach Up program for further case management and other services. (Added 2007, No. 30, § 1, eff. May 17, 2007; amended 2021, No. 20, § 285.)