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BEM 212 5 of 13 FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM GROUP COMPOSITION BPB 2025-015 6-1-2025

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

Example 2: Eric is ten years old. Their mom works during the week, drops them off at their grandmother’s house on Sunday evening and picks them up on Friday evening. Eric’s grandmother is primarily responsible for their care and supervision in the home where they sleep more than half the days in a month when averaged over the next twelve months. Eric’s grandmother is the primary caretaker. Their mom is considered an absent caretaker. Example 3: Mom works during Eric’s normal sleep hours, and Eric is only at Grandma’s house to sleep while mom works (they are not there all week). Mom is the primary caretaker. Grandma is providing child care. Changes in Primary Caretaker Re-evaluate primary caretaker status when any of the following occur: • A new or revised court order changing custody or visitation is provided. • There is a change in the number of days the child sleeps in another caretaker’s home and the change is expected to continue, on average, for the next twelve months. • A second caretaker disputes the first caretaker’s claim that the child(ren) sleeps in their home more than half the nights in a month, when averaged over the next 12 months. • A second caretaker applies for assistance for the same child. Example: Martin has lived in Mom’s home more than half the days in a month on average over the past several years. He is now a teenager and becoming a problem for Mom. There is a change in the custody arrangement. Mom and Dad agree that it would be better for Martin to live with Dad. They now expect them to stay at Dad’s home more than half the days in a month, when averaged over the next twelve months. Dad is now the primary caretaker. Mom is considered the absent caretaker. FOOD PURCHASE AND PREPARATION The phrase, purchase and prepare together, is meant to describe persons who usually share food in common.