In adopting a statement of policies under section 5108.04 of the Revised Code for the county's prevention, retention, and contingency program, each county department of job and family services shall do all of the following:

(A) Establish or specify all of the following:

(1) Benefits and services to be provided under the program that are allowable uses of federal Title IV-A funds under 42 U.S.C. 601 and 604(a), except that they may not be "assistance" as defined in 45 C.F.R. 260.31(a) but rather benefits and services that 45 C.F.R. 260.31(b) excludes from the definition of assistance;

(2) Restrictions on the amount, duration, and frequency of the benefits and services;

(3) Eligibility requirements for the benefits and services;

(4) Fair and equitable procedures for both of the following:

(a) The certification of eligibility for the benefits and services that do not have a financial need eligibility requirement;

(b) The determination and verification of eligibility for the benefits and services that have a financial need eligibility requirement.

(5) Objective criteria for the delivery of the benefits and services;

(6) Administrative requirements;

(7) Other matters the county department determines are necessary.

(B) Provide for the statement of policies to be consistent with all of the following:

(1) The plan of cooperation the board of county commissioners develops under section 307.983 of the Revised Code;

(2) The review and analysis of the county family services committee conducted in accordance with division (B)(2) of section 329.06 of the Revised Code;

(3) Title IV-A, federal regulations, state law, the Title IV-A state plan submitted to the United States secretary of health and human services under section 5101.80 of the Revised Code, and amendments to the plan.

(C) Either provide the public and local government entities at least thirty days to submit comments on, or have the county family services planning committee review, the statement of policies, including the design of the county's prevention, retention, and contingency program, before the county director signs and dates the statement of policies.

Effective Date: 09-26-2003.