Section 50. School attendance

A. The Virginia Department of Social Services shall develop procedures with the Department of Education to receive notification from local school divisions of any student who is truant. If notification is received from another source, the local department shall verify such truancy by contacting the school.

B. When verified by the school of such truancy, the local social services department shall do the following:

1. The local department shall send a written notice to the caretaker-relative advising him that the truant recipient is in jeopardy of losing eligibility for TANF benefits. The caretaker-relative must contact the local department within five days of the notice to cooperate in developing a plan to achieve compliance with compulsory school attendance laws. The notice must also specify that failure to contact the local department may result in the truant recipient's ineligibility for TANF due to noncooperation.

2. If the caretaker-relative fails to respond within five days of the notice, the local department shall make a personal contact which may include a direct telephone contact with the caretaker-relative to explain the requirement to develop a plan to return the child to school and the result of not cooperating with the requirement.

3. If the local department is unable to make personal contact, the local department shall mail a written advance notice of proposed action to the caretaker-relative advising that TANF benefits will be reduced if the caretaker-relative fails to contact the local department to develop a plan to return the child to school.

C. If the local department of social services denies or terminates TANF for noncompliance, the caretaker-relative shall notify the local department in writing of the truant individual's compliance with this section and file a new application for TANF. The local department shall verify compliance by contacting the school.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 12, Issue 15, eff. July 1, 1996; amended, Virginia Register Volume 25, Issue 19, eff. July 1, 2009.

Statutory Authority

§ 63.2-217 of the Code of Virginia.