441—47.24 (239B) Assistance available in family self-sufficiency grants. Family self-sufficiency grants shall be authorized for removing an identified barrier to self-sufficiency when it can be reasonably anticipated that the assistance will enable participant families to retain employment or obtain employment in the two full calendar months following the date of authorization of payment. For example, if a payment is authorized on August 20, it should be anticipated that the participant can find employment in September or October.
	 47.24(1) Employment does not occur. If employment does not occur in the anticipated two-calendar-month period or if the participant loses employment in spite of the self-sufficiency grant, no penalty is incurred and no overpayment has occurred.
	 47.24(2) Types of assistance. Family self-sufficiency grants are PROMISE JOBS benefits and shall be authorized through the PROMISE JOBS expense allowance system. The PROMISE JOBS service delivery region shall have discretion to determine those barriers to self-sufficiency which can be considered for family self-sufficiency grants such as, but not limited to, auto maintenance or repair, licensing fees, child care, and referral to other resources, including those necessary to address questions of domestic violence. Warrants may be issued to the participants, to a vendor, or for support services provided to the family. The PROMISE JOBS service delivery region shall have discretion in determining method of payment in each case, based on circumstances and needs of the family.
	 47.24(3) Limit on assistance. The total payment limit per family is $1,000 per year. A year for a family shall be the 12 fiscal months following the date of authorization of the initial payment for the family. A fiscal month begins and ends in different calendar months.
	 47.24(4) Frequency of assistance. Family self-sufficiency grants are intended to provide immediate and short-term assistance and must meet the criteria in this rule. While a family may be a candidate more than once and may receive payments in consecutive months in some circumstances, payments shall not be established as regular or ongoing.
	 47.24(5) Supplanting. Family self-sufficiency grants shall not be used for services already available through department, PROMISE JOBS, or other local resources at no cost.
	 47.24(6) Relationship to the family investment agreement. Family self-sufficiency grants are separate from the PROMISE JOBS family investment agreement process. While the family investment agreement must be honored at all times and renegotiated and amended if family circumstances require it, no family shall be considered to be choosing the limited benefit plan if the family chooses not to participate in the family self-sufficiency grant program.