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must be found to retain control and supervision of the child. The parent must live away from the home in order to get a job and must then delegate to another adult relative the day-by-day care of the child. However, the parent must continue to make the important decisions about the child and to maintain frequent contact with him if the child is to be considered living with the parent. Long absences during which the parent works elsewhere, does not return to the home, and does not plan for and direct the care of the child, do not meet the definition of temporary absence for

Volume III | Chapter 3

the purpose of obtaining work. If the parent is obviously not retaining parental control and supervision, then the county must make a change of payee to the adult relative who is exercising this function and also report the absent parent for desertion and/or nonsupport. For the budgeting of parent and child when the parent works away from home, see Chapter 6, When Working Parent Temporarily Out of Home. Extended Absence A parent or caretaker relative must report within five (5) days when it becomes clear to the household that the child(ren) has left home or when the child(ren) will be absent from the home for more than 30 days. Failure to report such absences timely will result in disqualification of the caretaker relative and a subsequent reduction in food stamp benefits. See Chapter 7, Changes, for a discussion of this reporting requirement. EMERGENCY SITUATIONS Temporary Arrangements From time to time, emergencies arise which deprive a child or children of the care of the parent or other relative through whom he has been receiving aid. For instance, the parent or other relative may die, desert, be imprisoned, or be hospitalized for a physical or mental illness. When an emergency occurs, another relative or sometimes an unrelated individual comes in to care for the children or takes them into his home temporarily until new arrangements can be made. This individual is acting for the relative and the child is regarded as continuing to live in his own home. Payment to Individual Acting for Relative When such arrangements come about in emergencies, the TANF grant may be paid to the individual acting for the relative for a temporary period. A temporary period is a period limited to that actually necessary to make and carry out plans for the child's continuing care and support, including that time needed to make a change of payee, but shall not exceed three months. In using the emergency payment procedure, the following provisions must be met: 1. The TANF benefit is made only for individuals who were already included in the TANF budget at the time the emergency occurred. When the payee is absent temporarily due to 3606 MISSISSIPPI NON - FINANCIAL CRITERIA: LIVING WITH CARETAKER RELATIVE

Revised 08 - 01 - 06