Acadia Parish Office of Family Support
300 E First Street Crowley LA
About
The Office of Family Support performs the services of the state relating to public assistance programs. These programs assist vulnerable people in meeting their basic human needs of economic support and promote their self-sufficiency and independence. The major programs are: FAMILY INDEPENDENCE TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (FITAP) which is a public assistance program that provides financial aid for children who do not have sufficient financial support from their parents. Eligibility requirements are: child must live in home of parent; parent or qualified relative must provide a social security number for each person for whom an application is made; child must meet need (income); child must be under 19 and resident of Louisiana; child must comply with school attendance requirement; proof of immunity or immunization; recipients must participate in the FIND Work program unless exempt under criteria established by the agency; recipients over age 18 must cooperate in screening for the use of illegal drugs and if necessary, drug testing, education and rehabilitation. FOOD STAMP PROGRAM is a Federal/State program to help low income families buy the food they need for good health. Eligibility requirements: work for low wages, are unemployed, work part-time, receive government assistance, are elderly or disabled and live on small income, or are homeless. Households may have no more than $2,000 in countable resources such as bank account ($3,000 if one person in the household is age 60 or older); gross monthly income must be below federal poverty guidelines (different for elderly or disabled); able-bodied adult applicants may be required to meet work requirements; everyone in household must have or apply for social security number. FAMILY INDEPENDENCE WORK PROGRAM (FIND Work) All recipients of FITAP must participate in the FIND Work program with the exception of single parents caring for a child under the age of one and children under the age of 18. The program prepares FITAP recipients for and to obtain employment through various work activities. KINSHIP CARE SUBSIDY PROGRAM (KCSP) provides cash assistance for eligible children who reside with qualified relatives other than parents. Qualified relatives are (either biological or adoptive): grandparents, brother or sister (including half), uncle or aunt, stepparents, stepbrother, stepsister, first cousin, nephew or niece, or legal spouse of the above relatives. To qualify the relative must possess legal custody or guardianship of the child who is living in the home and the family must have an annual income of less than 150% of the federal poverty threshold. The child must have an income of less that $222/month; must be under age of 19, must be a US citizen or a qualified alien; must comply with school attendance requirement; qualified relative must provide proof of immunity or immunization against vaccine-preventable disease for each child under age 18; qualified relative must assign to the state rights to child support from any other person and cooperate with Support Enforcement Services in obtaining child support for the child unless good cause is established; qualified relative must not have been convicted of or released from incarceration for a felony of possession, use or distribution of a controlled substance within the past year; qualified relative must furnish or apply for a social security number for the child; parents of the child must not live in the home of the qualified relative. Other programs/assistance offered through Office of Family Support are: Support Enforcement Services, Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) call for assstance for daycare if working or going to school; and Disability Determinations. Under Support Enforcement services there are 5 basic types of services offered: 1) Locate parents; 2) Establish paternity; 3) Establish orders (including medical support); 4) Enforce orders; 5) Collect and distribute payments. CALL FOR INFORMATION ON ABOVE SERVICES.
Details
Contact Name: Christine Miller
Cost of Services: None
Eligibility Requirements: Those persons meeting Federal guidelines depending on household size, income and resources and individual program criteria