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13 North Carolina

3. Parents, including biological, adoptive, or stepparents, must be included with their child(ren) in the Work First Cash Assistance case. All siblings, stepsiblings and half siblings living together must also be included in the case.

Note: Siblings can be separated for non-parent caregiver applications. Non- parent caretakers have the option to include half siblings in the same household when unearned income is received for one of the half-siblings and is not intended for both siblings. If the non-parent caretaker chooses to include a half sibling(s) any unearned income for the half sibling(s) would be countable toward the assistance unit.

4. If kinship cannot be established for one child to the case head, the case head can receive assistance for the child(ren) for which kinship can be verified. This exception ONLY applies to non-parent care givers.

5. If both biological parents and adoptive parents are living in the same residence with a child, the adoptive parents must apply and be included, but the biological parents may not. Ineligible parents, such as undocumented immigrants living in the home cannot be included in the Work First Cash Assistance case.

6. If the child’s parent and an individual who has legal custody or guardianship reside in the home with the child, only the individual who has day-to-day care of the child may apply for and receive Work First Cash Assistance for that child. The child’s parent is included in the case, and child support must be pursued. The parent’s income must be counted in this case. The parent must sign an MRA-B/Outcome Plan and is expected to complete the work participation requirements unless the parent meets one of the exemptions from the definition of Work Eligible Individuals.

7. Children for whom Foster Care and/or Adoption Assistance payments are being made are not included as participants.

8. Certain relatives, or a person with legal custody or legal guardianship, may apply for assistance for a child but may not be included in the payment. • These cases are child-only cases. The following relatives qualify to apply for a child: a blood or half-blood relative or adoptive relative limited to: brother, sister, grandparent, great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent, • uncle or aunt, great-uncle or aunt, great-great-uncle or aunt, nephew, niece, first cousin, and • spouses of anyone listed above even after the marriage has been terminated by death or divorce must have court ordered legal custody or legal guardianship of a child.

9. An adult or child cannot receive TANF Assistance in more than one case in North Carolina or any other state for the same month.

10. An individual can be the payee for one Work First Cash Assistance case at a time.