Health & Benefits

The following rules apply to you if you receive TANF benefits.

Child support

You must help the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) in getting the child support established for any children included in your TANF case. 

Unless good cause A legally acceptable reason to do something exists, cooperation includes:

• Identifying the other parent,
• Establishing paternity,
• Getting child support, and 
• Enforcing child support orders.

You may claim you have good cause for not helping DHS with the child support process when:

• You became pregnant as a result of incest Nonforcible sexual intercourse between people who are related. or rape,
• There is a possibility the child is going to be adopted out,
• There may be emotional harm to you or the child, or
• You are afraid because there has been or there is a risk of domestic or sexual violence.

If you don’t cooperate and don’t have good cause, you can be punished by having your TANF benefits taken away. This includes medical benefits for yourself. 

Regular school attendance

Children included in the TANF case are required to regularly go to school. DHS may work with your child’s school to determine if your child is "attending irregularly." Irregular attendance can mean a pattern or combination of missing school, being late, or leaving early.  

If your child has irregular attendance, the school will put you in contact with a community organization. The organization will help you to increase your child’s attendance. You are required to cooperate with the community organization if you are referred. 

Your family can be penalized if:

• You don’t work with the community organization; or
• Your child’s attendance does not get better within 3 months.