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C. Objective Criteria

1. Assistance

Assistance is provided to needy families. A family is defined as “one or more children living with a responsible parent(s), other caretaker relative or legal guardian.” Assistance includes cash payments and other benefits designed to meet a family’s ongoing, basic needs. Assistance includes certain support services for families who are not employed.

a. Basic assistance (excluding Relative Foster Care Maintenance Payments and Adoption and Guardianship Subsidies)

Families receiving cash assistance, which is intended to assist families in meeting their ongoing basic needs, represent Georgia’s child only cases. Cash assistance will also be provided to a pregnant woman without other dependent children based on support and passage of state law during the 2023 Georgia legislative session.

Georgia currently has three categories of Basic Assistance (excluding Relative Foster Care Maintenance Payments and Adoption and Guardianship Subsidies):

1. Cash Assistance:

Cash assistance includes the share of the assigned child support collection that is distributed to the family and disregarded in determining eligibility for and the amount of the TANF assistance payment. For cash assistance benefits, a family’s income must be below the state’s Standard of Need.

2. Work Assistance:

Work assistance services and cash assistance that are provided to needy families in which the parent or grantee-relative are deemed to have mandatory work requirements.

3. Grandparents Raising Grandchildren:

Georgia has recognized a growing population of grandparents taking upon themselves the role of caretaker for their grandchildren. Therefore, DFCS will provide supplemental support necessary to Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (GRG) so that children can be cared for in their homes or in the homes of their grandparents. The GRG Monthly Subsidy Payment (MSP) is a cash payment of $100.00 per child, per month. The payment may be ongoing or retroactive and can be offered to a grandparent or his or her spouse who meets the following criteria:

• Is a caretaker of his or her grandchild; • Grandchild is eligible for cash assistance; • Is 55 years of age or older or any age and is disabled, not participating in an existing foster care program and not receiving per diem payments;