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Revised 11-01-17

o brother-in-law, or sister-in-law of the case head. Child means a biological, adopted or foster child, or a child for whom the individual stands in loco parentis. The disability must be supported by medical documentation which requires the parent to provide such care twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week and defines how long the disability is anticipated to last; or o a recipient of SSI.

• The individual is a non-needy caretaker relative.

NOTE: All needy caretaker relatives are included in the work participation rate calculation.

Case Definitions

A TANF Basic case is one in which:

• There is a single parent included with his/her child(ren); • There is a single caretaker relative included with the child(ren); • There are two parents included with the child(ren) and one or both parents are disabled; or • There are two parents with the child(ren) but one parent receives SSI, and is not included in the assistance unit (AU).

A two-parent family case for the purposes of the TANF Work Program participation requirements will be the TANF-UP family in which both parents are able-bodied. If either parent claims an exemption because of incapacity, the case will be handled as a TANF Basic case.

Non-Exempt Individuals

Recognizing that adult recipients of TANF benefits, unless specifically exempt, have a 60-month lifetime limit for receiving assistance, the focus will be on preparing the individuals for work, assisting them with finding employment, providing post-employment assistance, and teaching the individual about job retention.

All adults who are not specifically exempt from the TANF Work Program will be referred to the MDES for an assessment and placement in work activities. Non-exempt individuals are TANF recipients who do not qualify for an exemption, and are subject to TWP requirements as a condition of eligibility for TANF benefits. These individuals are often referred to as “mandatory participants.” These categories include: