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BEM 210 9 of 20 FIP GROUP COMPOSITION BPB 2026-002 1-1-2026
BRIDGES ELIGIBILITY MANUAL STATE OF MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Children’s Foster Care Payment Recipient A recipient of children’s foster care payments has a FIP EDG participation status of Excluded Child. The income, assets, needs and relationships to other household members are not considered. This child has no effect on FIP eligibility determination. Parent of Child in Out-of-Home Foster Care Placement The legal parent and/or stepparent of a child in an out-of-home fos- ter care placement due to abuse or neglect forms a valid FIP EDG, as long as there is a plan to return the child to the parent/steppar- ent’s home up to twelve months from the date of removal. When there is no basis for FIP eligibility except for the parent’s relationship to the child in out-of-home foster care placement, the child has a FIP EDG participation status of Other Child on the parent's case. If the foster care plan is to return the child to the parents' home, the parent/stepparent may be eligible for FIP based on the relationship to the child in foster care; see FIP Certified Groups with No Child in this item. Note: Request cash assistance for the foster care child on the parent's case even though the child will not be in the FIP certified group. OPTIONAL CERTIFIED GROUP MEMBERS A needy caretaker other than a parent or stepparent may request cash assistance and be included in the FIP certified group. The caretaker's spouse and dependent children living in the home must also be included in the FIP certified group when the caretaker is included. When FIP eligibility is based solely on the presence of a child placed in the home by children’s services, the adult is in the FIP EDG for relationship purposes, but cannot be in the FIP certified group. FIP for court-ordered unrelated caregivers is limited to the ineligible grantee payment standard. If there are other children in the home who have different relationships to this caretaker; see Multi-Generation and Combined Groups in this item.