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Child Care Assistance Program Policy Manual Issued 05/2022 MFIP special circumstances 4.3.3.6 Opting out of MFIP cash Families may choose to “opt out” of the cash and MFIP Housing Assistance Grant portions of MFIP to stop months from counting against their 60 months of lifetime eligibility for MFIP cash benefits. These families still receive the food portion of MFIP benefits, work with Employment Services and can return to receiving cash benefits if they choose. Families who receive the food portion of MFIP benefits are still considered MFIP recipients and continue to be eligible for child care assistance under the MFIP/DWP subprogram. Two-parent households when only one parent is on MFIP In some two-parent households, one parent is on MFIP and the other parent is not included in the MFIP grant. Examples include when one parent receives SSI or when one parent has been disqualified from MFIP for fraud. These families receive MFIP/DWP child care. The parent that is not included on the MFIP grant meets eligibility and authorized activity requirements. The parent that is not included on the MFIP grant must: • Have an authorized activity outside of an Employment Plan (job search, employment or an approved education plan) See Chapter 4.6.6 (Authorized activities outside an Employment Plan) OR • Be determined unable to care as described in Chapter 4.6.1 (Activity requirements based on family composition). MFIP relative caregiver (Optional Unit Members) Some people may choose to be in the MFIP assistance unit when they live with mandatory members of the unit. These people are “Optional Unit Members.” Optional members include a non-parental eligible caregiver and the spouse of the non-parental eligible caregiver, if there is not a natural or adoptive parent or stepparent in the minor child’s home. If the non-parental caregiver chooses not to be in the MFIP assistance unit, meaning not to be on the MFIP grant, the subprogram for the family is Basic Sliding Fee (BSF) child care. If the non-parental caregiver is in the MFIP assistance unit, the subprogram for the family is MFIP/DWP child care.