The Kentucky Works Program (KWP) assists recipients of the Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program (K-TAP) in obtaining the necessary education and training that will lead to gainful employment and self-support. This assistance includes support services necessary for the participant to obtain education and/or training.
K-TAP is the monetary assistance program Kentucky established using federal funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. K-TAP is provided to families with dependent children who meet technical and financial criteria.
All adult K-TAP recipients must take part in the Kentucky Works Program, unless exempt.
A recipient may be exempt if:
- The recipient is a K-TAP adult who is caring for a child less than 12 months of age and not receiving based on unemployment. This exemption may be used for only 12 months in the recipient’s lifetime. The 12 months do not have to be used all at once. The recipient may choose to save some months for future use.
- The recipient is under 18 years old and has a child less than 12 weeks old. Once the child is 12 weeks old, the recipient will have to meet the KWP participation requirement.
- The recipient is a parent who must remain in the home to provide constant care for more than 8 consecutive weeks for a disabled family member living in the home who does not attend school full-time.
KWP participants complete an assessment with a case manager to review the family’s strengths and needs. A Transitional Assistance Agreement (TAA) is completed. The case manager and the participant agree on long-term and short-term goals which are listed on the TAA and focused on getting a job and becoming self-supporting.
KWP participants, who do not complete the assessment process, may lose their K-TAP benefits.
Once the assessment is completed, the participant is asked to follow the steps on the TAA to reach the employment goal and become self-supporting.
Following are activities which are countable for Kentucky Works participation:
- Paid work.
- Job training while working.
- Job readiness training and job search to help prepare for work by providing training about appropriate behavior at work, life skills, personal grooming and other things.
- Work experience training programs provide training from projects that serve a useful public purpose such as health, social services, libraries, public facilities, education, etc.
- Vocational training provides training for a job. This may include:
- College programs;
- Short-term training that leads to work;
- Vocational or technical schools; and
- Proprietary schools that provide training for jobs such as computer operator, truck driver, medical technician and more.
Vocational training may be a participant’s only activity for 24 months. Participants in vocational training more than 24 months will need to do another activity to meet their Kentucky Works requirement.
- Community service with a public or nonprofit organization for a useful public service.
- Providing child care services for another KWP participant who is doing community service as his/her Kentucky Works activity.
- KWP participants, age 18 or 19 who do not have a high school diploma or its equal, can go to high school or similar programs to meet their Kentucky Works requirement.
There are other activities in which participants may take part to get ready for work. Participants may be asked to take part in another Kentucky Works activity while attending one of these activities.
- Domestic violence programs to help the participant survive a mental or physical abuse situation in his/her home.
- Life skills training to teach things like how to resolve problems, dress for work, plan daily activities, set a budget and other things.
- Substance abuse programs to help manage, control or overcome problems caused by the use of alcohol or drugs. These problems may prevent the participant from working or becoming self-supporting.
- Mental health counseling to help with mental health problems that may prevent the participant from working or becoming self-supporting.
- Vocational rehabilitation to help persons with a physical or mental disability to be rehabilitated and trained for work.
- Literacy or adult education such as preparing to get a GED.
While taking part in Kentucky Works, participants may get help with childcare, transportation and other supportive services needed to participate. Other supportive services can include buying a job interview outfit, tools needed for the job, uniforms, licensing fees, car repair and more. A participant may also receive help with expenses of moving to a home in order accept or maintain a new job.
If the participant is not exempt and chooses not to take part in Kentucky Works, the K-TAP benefits may be reduced or stopped. Medical Assistance may be stopped and the Food Stamp benefits may also be affected. This change in benefits will last as long as the participant chooses not to take part or until the participant becomes exempt.
The participant may be given good cause for not taking part in Kentucky Works if he/she:
- Is a victim of domestic violence and taking part would put the individual or the individual’s family in danger or make it harder to escape the domestic violence;
- Has a physical or mental problem that limits him/her;
- Is a single parent with a child under 6 years old and cannot find close and affordable childcare;
- Can prove that he/she must remain in the home to care for less than 8 consecutive weeks for a parent, spouse or child living with the participant who has physical or mental limitations;
- Loses childcare due to no fault his/her own;
- Cannot find childcare to meet the special needs of his/her child;
- Is incarcerated or institutionalized for 30 days or less; or
- Must travel more than three hours a day to take part.