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BEM 210 1 of 20 FIP GROUP COMPOSITION BPB 2026-002 1-1-2026

BRIDGES ELIGIBILITY MANUAL STATE OF MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

DEPARTMENT PHILOSOPHY The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) believes that children are best served by living in supportive family settings. The mutual responsibility of family members for each other and their commitment to caring for each other are key to building strong families. Parents are responsible for the care and support of their minor children. In the absence of parents, children may be cared for by other adults having specific relationships to the children. Spouses are responsible for each other. All needy family members living together are expected to share income, assets, and expenses. The limited nature of the Family Independence Program is essential to meeting the goals of the program. DEPARTMENT POLICY FIP Group composition is the determination of which individuals living together are included in the FIP eligibility determination group/pro- gram group and the FIP certified group. To be eligible for FIP both of the following must be true: • The group must include a dependent child who lives with a legal parent, stepparent or other qualifying caretaker. • The group cannot include an adult who has accumulated more than 60 TANF funded months, beginning October 1, 1996 or any other time limits in the Family Independence Program; see BEM 234. DEFINITIONS

Caretaker A caretaker is a legal parent or stepparent living in the home, or when no legal parent or stepparent lives in the home, another adult who acts as a parent to a dependent child by providing physical care and supervision. See Who May Be a FIP Caretaker? in this item.