Wyoming Statutes Title 42. Welfare § 42-2-104. Personal opportunities with employment responsibilities; provision; eligibility; unemployed parent program

(a) The department may through the personal opportunities with employment responsibilities (POWER) program provide financial assistance for a dependent child and an eligible caretaker. Financial assistance under this program shall be in the form of a performance payment or protective payment payable to or on behalf of an eligible recipient. Any individual not a relative of the dependent child but interested in or concerned with the welfare of the child and his eligible caretaker may subject to qualifications prescribed by rule and regulation of the department, receive a protective payment on behalf of the dependent child which shall not count toward the caretaker's five (5) year limit for benefits under W.S. 42-2-103(e)(i) unless the nonrelative caretaker is included in the calculation of the performance payment of the dependent child.

(b) In addition to any other state or federal regulation and subject to W.S. 42-2-103(e), an assistance unit qualifying under W.S. 42-2-103(a) with a dependent child is eligible for financial assistance under the personal opportunities with employment responsibilities (POWER) program. For purposes of this subsection, a dependent child includes any child who is under eighteen (18) years of age and living with a relative in a residence maintained by the relative as determined by rule and regulation of the department, regularly attending school or its equivalent as determined by the department, or is expected to graduate from high school before the age of nineteen (19) years. For purposes of this subsection, a dependent child does not include a minor parent.

(c) Repealed by Laws 1997, ch. 196, § 2.

(d) Subject to the availability of funds, the department may by rule and regulation create a program to provide financial assistance to assistance units in which there is a dependent child and both of the parents are unemployed.