What is the 12-week postpartum exemption period?
Parents who have already claimed the infant exemption for a maximum of 365 days can request an additional 12-week postpartum exemption period (84 days) if they have another child. This period allows parents to spend time with the newborn before they are required to participate in WorkFirst activities. A parent can participate in the WorkFirst program on a voluntary basis during this period if there are no identified mental health and/or chemical dependency issues. If a parent qualifies for a PD, has no identified mental health and/or chemical dependency issues per the P to E assessment(s) and chooses to participate in WorkFirst activities the department will not pursue sanction if we learn that a parent is no longer participating as required in the IRP. The following steps will be taken when the parent stops participating: • Send the Pregnancy to Employment Infant Exemption letter giving the parent 10-day notice that we plan to put them into Infant Exemption status. • If the parent con
