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appropriate documentation in order for the legal marital status to be recognized. Court Ordered Custody The fact that the court has granted custody of a child to someone other than the individual or agency giving care and supervision to the child does not: 1. Terminate the parent’s responsibility for support of the child. Usually the court order includes a statement regarding the parent’s responsibility for support. 2. Invalidate the TANF assistance unit requirements that the legal parent in the home be included in the budget as payee with a protective payee as appropriate. 3. Make a relative other than a parent financially responsible for the child.

4. Prevent another 3012parent or relative from receiving TANF for the chi Volume III | Chapter 3d. Joint Custody Cases When parents are granted joint custody of a child(ren), the worker will need to evaluate each situation to determine whether or not the requirements of continued absence and living with a caretaker relative are met. Note that the child who is spending a portion of each month with each parent will not be continuously absent from either parent and that both parents will continue to exercise parental control. Also, note that children may be eligible with one parent when parental functioning of the other parent is terminated long enough for eligibility to be determined and that children may be temporarily separated from their usual caretaker relatives. The case record must be thoroughly documented to support such determination of absence.