1. (a) For the purpose of eligibility under 15 AAC 125.650(a)(3)(A), a community-based organization is a private or nonprofit organization or government agency that operates a program designed to directly or indirectly address personal or economic factors that may reduce a parent's earning potential or ability to pay support.
2. (b) A community-based organization may refer parents to the arrears forgiveness program under 15 AAC 125.650(a)(3)(A) if the organization or a particular program offered by the organization is qualified by the agency for participation in the arrears forgiveness program. An organization may apply to the agency for qualification by submitting a written application on a form provided by the agency, together with all documentation requested by the agency. The agency will review the application to determine whether the organization's program is designed to directly or indirectly address personal or economic factors that may reduce a parent's earning potential or ability to pay support and whether a parent's participation in that program is otherwise consistent with the goals of the arrears forgiveness program. The agency will notify the organization in writing, either approving or denying qualification for the program.

3. (c) In order to refer a parent to the arrears forgiveness program, a community-based organization must certify to the agency that the parent is actively participating in a qualified program offered by the organization. The community-based organization must further agree to

   1. (1) monitor and certify to the agency the parent's progress in and completion of the qualified program;
   2. (2) inform the agency immediately if the parent is no longer participating in the qualified program; and
   3. (3) provide assistance to the agency in obtaining the parent's cooperation and compliance with the requirements of the arrears forgiveness program.
4. (d) If a parent's participation in a program operated by a community-based organization is terminated by the community-based organization after the parent has been referred by that organization under (c) of this section, the agency may terminate the parent's participation in the arrears forgiveness program as provided in 15 AAC 125.685 unless the agency determines that the parent would have qualified for participation in the arrears forgiveness program under 15 AAC 125.650(a)(3)(B) or (C).

5. (e) If a parent's participation in a program operated by a community-based organization is terminated because the organization or program was terminated or the parent's participation in that program is otherwise terminated through no fault of the parent, the parent may continue to participate in the arrears forgiveness program if the parent was

   1. (1) referred to and is in compliance with the requirements of a comparable community-based program; or
   2. (2) in compliance with the requirements of the community-based organization or program when it was terminated and a comparable program does not exist to which the parent can be referred.

(Eff. 4/1/2005, Register 173)

Authority: AS 25.27.020