§346-65  Child abuse and neglect
discretionary emergency assistance.  (a)  The department may grant funds to
a family for child abuse and neglect discretionary emergency assistance in
accordance with this section.  The purpose of these grants is to assist
children and families when an emergency situation arises or is imminent which
may cause child abuse or neglect or has caused children and families to need
assistance from the department pursuant to chapter 587, and the financial
assistance may prevent the abuse or neglect, prevent the removal of a child
from a family, or would meet the immediate needs of a child who has been
removed from a family.



(b)  Emergency assistance shall be authorized
when:



(1)  A situation arises or is imminent which presents
an immediate or imminent threat of child abuse or neglect or has caused
children and families to need assistance from the department pursuant to
chapter 587;



(2)  The family is eligible for public assistance or
has no available financial resources;



(3)  Financial assistance may eliminate or alleviate
the situation and remove the immediate or imminent threat of child abuse or
neglect; and



(4)  No other financial resources are available from
within the family or from other public or private source which could be used to
eliminate or alleviate the situation.



(c)  Emergency assistance may be used for
shelter, respite child care, clothing, transportation, medical costs,
utilities, food, repairs, essential equipment, and other goods or services
which in the discretion of the department are necessary to eliminate or
alleviate the emergency situation.



(d)  A family shall not be granted more than
$1,000 in emergency assistance during one fiscal year; except that under an
exceptional situation as determined by the director, a family may be granted
not more than $2,000 during one fiscal year.



(e)  For the purposes of this chapter only,
emergency assistance shall not be considered income to the head of household or
family nor as part of the family's assistance allowance. [L 1986, c 160, §1; am
L 1988, c 327, §4]