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FSIn general, all household members who purchase and prepare food together who are not disqualified from participating in the FS Program because they fail to meet a financial or non-financial eligibility requirement are mandatory group members. The phrase "purchase and prepare food together" is meant to describe persons who customarily share food in common. Persons customarily share food in common if: • they each contribute to the purchase of food; • they share the preparation of food, regardless of who paid for it; or • they eat from the same food supply, regardless of who paid for it. Persons who normally purchase and prepare food separately maintain that distinction even when they are temporarily sharing food with others. A person is temporarily sharing food if s/he had previously purchased and prepared food separately and others are sharing his/her food until the person: • is approved for Food Stamps, • qualifies for other cash assistance, or • secures some other source of income. Some household members must be included in the same group even if they are not purchasing and preparing food together. The relationships of the people who live together affect whether they must be included or excluded from the group. • Spouses: Spouses are members of legally married or unmarried couples who tell others they are married or otherwise represent themselves as married (that is, use the same last name). Spouses who live together must be in the same group. • Parents and Children: Parent(s) and child(ren) who live together must be in the same group unless the child is age 22 or over and cooks and eats separately from the group. If this exception is met, either group may apply for and receive separate status. Parenting children (age 21 or under) who live at home with their parent(s) must be included in the same group with their parent(s). If the parenting minor is married, his/her spouse must also be included in the same group (if the spouse resides in the home). Example Ms. Day (age 54) lives with her brother Mr. Earl (age 53) who receives SSI. Ms. Day purchases and prepares food separately from Mr. Earl. Ms. Day and Mr. Earl are separate FS groups. Either may apply for separate group status. • Foster Child: The FS group may choose to include or exclude a foster child whose foster parent is a group member. If excluded, this foster child is not eligible for FS as a separate group and the foster care payment is not income to the group. • Children Not Living with a Parent: Generally, a child under 18 years of age must be included with an adult if the adult exercises parental control (care and supervision). The adult does not have to be related. However, the SSR should form separate groups if the child and adult eat separately and: o The child has his/her own child who lives with the group, or o The child is married and living with his/her spouse. • Siblings: Siblings (natural, adopted, half, or stepbrothers and sisters) who eat separately may form separate groups unless one sibling provides parental guidance over the other. The SSR should establish separate groups for parental guidance siblings if one sibling is a senior (age