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TANF STATE PLAN STATE OF MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Page 8 Effective Date: January 1, 2020 5. Group Composition The following persons who live together must be included in the group for purposes of counting income and assets, unless the group qualifies for the Marriage Exemption: a dependent child for whom assistance is requested; the child’s parents; the child’s stepparent; the child’s siblings and stepsiblings who also meet the definition of dependent child; the parents of the siblings; and the child’s child. Any of the above family members may be excluded based on their status with other programs.

A caretaker other than a parent or stepparent may, in the absence of the child’s parent or stepparent, request assistance for the child only. This caretaker may have the option to be included in the group with the dependent child. If such a caretaker receives assistance, the caretaker’s spouse and dependent children in the home must also be included in the group.

All children cared for by the same caretaker must be included in a single group, even if the children are not related to each other as siblings or stepsiblings. A minor parent living with a parent or stepparent may not receive assistance in his or her own right, but must be treated as a dependent child of the parent or stepparent. A minor parent living with a caretaker other than a parent or stepparent who also receives assistance under FIP may not receive assistance in his or her own right, but may be eligible only as a dependent child of the caretaker.

Michigan denies assistance to a person who has been, or is expected to be, absent from the home for more than 30 days, unless the absence is because of hospitalization, substance abuse treatment, training, education, active duty in the uniformed services of the U.S. or a child living apart from a parent due to the parent residing in a domestic violence shelter.

Michigan also denies assistance to a group that includes an adult who must be included in the group and has accumulated 60 months of TANF funded cash assistance, beginning October 1, 1996 or exceeded any other time limits in FIP.

6. Minor Parents Minor parents must live with a parent, stepparent, or legal guardian or have good cause not to do so. If the minor parent has good cause not to live with a parent, stepparent, or legal guardian, the minor parent and child must live in another adult- supervised living arrangement to be eligible. Minor parents who have not completed high school must attend school full-time as a condition of eligibility.

Good cause for not living with a parent, stepparent, or legal guardian includes:

• The minor parent is living with another adult relative with parental consent.