808.27 Hourly Participation Requirements SR 07-15, 08/07 (FAM-A) |
To remain in compliance, mandatory and voluntary NHEP participants must participate in NHEP activities for at least the minimum number of hours described in the Minimum Weekly Participation column of the following table unless otherwise specified or unless they are exempt. See Exceptions below.
AG Type |
Minimum Weekly Participation (Hours) |
Minimum Hours That Must Be a Core Activity1 |
Minimum Hours That Must Be a Core or Secondary Activity1 |
One-Parent Family Youngest child under 6 |
20 |
20 |
None |
One-Parent Family Youngest child 6 or older |
30 |
20 |
10 |
Two-Parent Family not receiving DHHS child care assistance |
35 |
30 |
5 |
Two-Parent Family receiving DHHS child care assistance and no disabled person in home |
55 |
50 |
5 |
Requirements are used to meet reporting requirements.
Core, Secondary, and Interim Activities
For federal reporting requirements to be met, participants must be enrolled in:
• Core activities for a minimum of 20 hours per week;
• Secondary and Core activities for a minimum of the hours specified in the chart above; and
• Interim activities when appropriate, but these activities do not count towards federal reporting requirements.
NHEP participants that do not meet federal reporting requirements may still meet NHEP participation requirements.
Meeting NHEP Participation Requirements
When appropriate, hours may be met through a single activity or a combination of activities. Community activities or activities mandated by another agency that promote self-sufficiency, employability, or the health of the family may count toward the participation hours as indicated on the EP.
The hours of participation should be based on what is necessary for the participant to achieve employment goals and self-sufficiency and not on the minimum hours set by federal law. Total participation hours including enrollment in additional activities beyond the minimum hours may not exceed 40 hours per week as specified on the EP. Every effort should be made to ensure that participants meet federal reporting standards.
Exceptions:
• Participants in interim activities, including barrier resolution and family intervention, who do not meet federal reporting requirements may not be required to meet the minimum number of hours needed to meet NHEP participation requirements, depending on the barrier.
• For individuals participating in OJT, the required hours may exceed 40 hours under certain conditions. See Section 808.37, Participation Requirements for 2-Parent Families.
• Parents who are under age 20 are required to participate in educational activities if they do not have a high school diploma or its equivalent.
• Participants whose youngest child is under 6 years old can only be required to participate in additional hours beyond the 20 hour minimum when the individual is enrolled in the activities of Employment, AWEP, or CWEP, does not have substantial barriers, and is meeting participation requirements.
Activities and How They Count Toward the Federal Required Hours of Participation
Activity |
NHEP Activities that Meet Core Requirements for Single Parent or Two-Parent Families |
Secondary NHEP Activities that Meet Additional Required Hours for Single and Two-Parent Families |
Job Search |
YES (6 Weeks)1 |
NO |
Job Readiness |
YES (6 Weeks)1 |
NO |
Employment |
YES |
YES |
On-the-Job Training |
YES |
YES |
AWEP |
YES |
YES |
Barrier Resolution |
NO |
NO |
ESL |
NO |
YES |
Basic Education |
YES (only if teen parent 16-19)2 |
YES |
Vocational Training |
YES (12 month lifetime limit) |
YES |
Workplace Training |
NO |
YES |
Single-Course |
NO |
YES |
Post-Secondary Ed. |
YES (12 month lifetime limit) |
YES |
Family Intervention |
NO |
NO |
Homecare Works |
YES |
YES |
CWEP |
YES |
YES |
Job Club/CWEP |
YES |
YES |
1 No more than 4 of the 6 weeks may be consecutive.
2 In a Two-Parent household NHEP participants under age 25 may meet NHEP compliance requirements by fully participating in the activity of Basic Education.