The Florida Senate

414.125  Learnfare program.--

(1)  The department shall reduce the temporary cash assistance for a participant's eligible dependent child or for an eligible teenage participant who has not been exempted from education participation requirements during a grading period in which the child or teenage participant has accumulated a number of unexcused absences from school that is sufficient to jeopardize the student's academic progress, in accordance with rules adopted by the department with input from the Department of Education. The temporary cash assistance must be reinstituted after a subsequent grading period in which the child has substantially improved the child's attendance. Good cause exemptions from the rule of unexcused absences include the following:

(a)  The student is expelled from school and alternative schooling is not available.

(b)  No licensed day care is available for a child of teen parents subject to Learnfare.

(c)  Prohibitive transportation problems exist (e.g., to and from day care).

(d)  The teen is over 16 years of age and not expected to graduate from high school by age 20.

Within 10 days after sanction notification, the participant parent of a dependent child or the teenage participant may file an internal fair hearings process review procedure appeal, and no sanction shall be imposed until the appeal is resolved.

(2)  Each participant with a school-age child is required to have a conference with an appropriate school official of the child's school during each grading period to assure that the participant is involved in the child's educational progress and is aware of any existing attendance or academic problems. The conference must address acceptable student attendance, grades, and behavior and must be documented by the school and reported to the department. The department shall notify a school of any student in attendance at that school who is a participant in the Learnfare program in order that the required conferences are held. A participant who without good cause fails to attend a conference with a school official is subject to the sanction provided in subsection (1).

History.--s. 1, ch. 95-431; s. 16, ch. 96-175; s. 13, ch. 97-173; s. 7, ch. 97-234.

Note.--Former s. 409.1855.