Emergency money for families facing child abuse or neglect

(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 587A, 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 587A; (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.