Previous Policy

8.6.2 Categories

Effective date: October 10, 2018 - April 11, 2019

DWD-DET categorizes supportive services as either:

information and referral to a supportive service (these are considered no-cost services)

program-funded (e.g., payments to another entity for goods or services and reimbursements to participants).

Note: Costs for program-funded supportive services must be reasonable.

Note: In ASSET, information and referral supportive services are entered as a Referral service under "Basic Career – Self/Informational."

EXAMPLES

Supportive services may include, but are not limited to, the following:¹

Referrals to community programs/services
Referrals to State and Federal public assistance programs
Transportation assistance
Child care and dependent care assistance²
Housing assistance
Needs-related payments
Assistance with educational testing
Reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities
Services provided by legal aid organizations
Uniforms, work attire and work-related equipment/tools
Books, fees, and school supplies
Payments/fees for employment and training-related applications, tests, certifications and licenses

See the Supportive Services - Examples and Resource Guide for more information.

¹20 CFR § 680.900(a)-(l)
²Although the term "dependent child" is defined elsewhere in this manual, this definition does not apply to supportive services. Local WDBs may determine when assistance with dependent care is appropriate, based on each participant's circumstances.

Reasonable Cost

Effective date: October 10, 2018

Costs are considered reasonable if they are of a nature and amount that would be incurred by a prudent person under the circumstances prevailing at the time the decision was made to incur the costs. The question of reasonableness is particularly important when the non-federal entity is predominantly federally-funded. In determining reasonableness of a given cost, consideration must be given to:

Whether the cost is of a type generally recognized as ordinary and necessary for the operation of the non-federal entity or the proper and efficient performance of the federal award.
The restraints or requirements imposed by such factors as: sound business practices; arm's-length bargaining; federal, state, local, tribal, and other laws and regulations; and terms and conditions of the federal award.
Market prices for comparable goods or services for the geographic area.
Whether the individuals concerned acted with prudence in the circumstances considering their responsibilities to the non-federal entity, its employees, where applicable its students or membership, the public at large, and the federal government.
Whether the non-federal entity significantly deviates from its established practices and policies regarding the incurrence of costs, which may unjustifiably increase the federal award's cost. (2 CFR § 200.404)

Public Assistance

Effective date: August 20, 2018

Revised date: September 1, 2020

"Public Assistance" means federal, state, or local government cash payments where eligibility is determined by a needs or income test.

WIOA Sec. 3(50)

As WIOA does not define "cash payments," DWD-DET used definitions provided by the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to define "cash payments" as cash or a cash equivalent, such as a debit card or check, that can be spent however the recipient choses, and is not restricted to a specific purpose like groceries or childcare.

U.S. Census Bureau (https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2013/acs/acsbr11-12.pdf); U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-8-part-g-chapter-10)