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• If parents are deceased: o A birth certificate or other acceptable documentation (as listed in IPPM, Section 2420.05.05) of the parental relationship for each known parent; and o A death certificate, death notice or other documentation (as listed in IPPM, Section 2418.05.10.25) for each known parent; • A statement from a social service or governmental agency or a knowledgeable individual corroborating the minor's assertion that his parent's whereabouts are unknown; • A statement from the parent, a social service or governmental agency, or a knowledgeable individual as evidence that the minor's parent or guardian refuses to allow the minor parent to live in the home; and • Court records, police records, child protection records or statements from knowledgeable individuals supporting the minor parent's assertion that living with the parent would jeopardize the minor parent or the child's physical/emotional health or safety; and • Legal verification that the adult is pursuing legal guardianship or custody (if the minor parent is not living with a parent, stepparent, grandparent, or legal guardian/custodian and is not otherwise exempt from the requirement).

A minor parent who is required to live with a qualifying relative may, nevertheless, assume an adult role as parent/caretaker of her dependent child. In this situation, the AG's payment amount should reflect the presence of an adult caretaker (the minor parent) and an eligible child (the minor parent's child).

EXAMPLE:

Susan is a minor parent who assumes primary responsibility for the day-to-day care of her child, Emily. The two of them live with Susan's grandmother, Carol. Susan has no siblings in the home. Carol acts as Susan's mentor and supervises her parenting and other activities, but Susan is Emily's caretaker. Susan is therefore in compliance with the requirement to live with a responsible adult. Carol is not Emily’s non-parent caretaker. As a result, Susan may serve in the role as eligible caretaker and the AG receives the benefit amount for an AG with a parent/caretaker rather than the amount for a "children only" AG.

Married parents under 18 years of age are not subject to the requirement to live with an adult.

NOTE: There has been no change in policy regarding the determination of financial eligibility for parents under the age of 18. If living with a parent of the minor parent, the AGs of those individuals (whether unmarried or married) are subject to the deeming of income from the parent of the minor parent. (See Sections 3450.45.15, 3450.45.20, 3450.45.25, and 3450.45.30 for budgeting procedures.)

TANF payments made on behalf of minor parents and their dependent children must be paid in the form of protective payments to the adults assuming responsibility for them unless the minor parent is exempt from the requirement to live with a qualifying relative.

In the rare circumstance where the minor parent is experiencing significant problems with the protective payment arrangement, a decision to alter the payment arrangement may be necessary.