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BEM 212 4 of 13 FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM GROUP COMPOSITION BPB 2025-015 6-1-2025

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

caretaker for more than 30 days (not temporarily absent from the primary caretaker’s home.) Determine primary caretaker by using a twelve-month period. The twelve-month period begins when a primary caretaker determination is made. To determine the primary caretaker: • Ask the client how many days the child sleeps at their home in a calendar month. • Accept the client’s statement unless questionable or disputed by another caretaker. Note: When a caretaker works during a child’s normal sleep hours, include the nights the child sleeps away from home when due solely to the caretaker’s employment as nights slept in the home of the caretaker; see Example 3. • If primary caretaker status is questionable or disputed, verification is needed. • Allow both caretakers to provide evidence supporting their claim. Base your determination on the evidence provided by the caretakers; see Verification Sources in this item. • Document who the primary caretaker is in the case. If the child spends virtually half of the days in each month, averaged over a twelve-month period with each caretaker, the caretaker who applies and is found eligible first, is the primary caretaker. The other caretaker(s) is considered the absent caretaker(s). Example 1: Patty normally lives with Mom and they receive FAP benefits. Dad has scheduled visitation every other weekend, two weeks at Christmas, two weeks at Easter and eight weeks in the summer. When Patty is gone for the eight weeks in the summer, Dad (absent caretaker) could apply and receive FAP benefits with Patty in his group, if otherwise eligible. Patty would have to be removed from Mom’s case because they no longer meet the defini- tion of temporary absence. Note: If in the example above, Patty returns every other weekend to visit with Mom during the summer visitation with Dad, Peggy remains on Mom’s case (they are temporarily absent).