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_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DIVISION OF WELFARE AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES Child Care Policy Manual Possible sources of verification of household composition are as follows (not all inclusive): • Copy of the lease listing all household members; • Statement from non-relative landlord/manager listing all household members; • Statement from non-relative friend/neighbor listing all household members; 216.4 Group Identity To ensure correct eligibility is determined per household composition requirements, four group identities (group-set) have been created – Traditional, Minor, Foster, or CPS. 216.4.1 Traditional Group Set Each application will have only one Traditional Group Set. The Traditional Group Set is usually a parent/child(ren) relationship and would include Non-Needy Relative Caregiver (NNRC) and Kinship households. 216.4.2 Minor Group Set A minor parent is an individual under the age of 18, who is not emancipated, and is the natural parent of a dependent child(ren). Individuals are no longer considered minors beginning the day they become age 18. 216.4.2.1 Additional Information • A minor parent may remain in the major parent’s case up to their 19th birthday. When the minor parent turns 18 years old notify the household of the minor parent’s option to remain on the major parent’s case or to open a case of their own. The minor parent will remain on the major parent’s case until an application is received from the minor parent or the minor parent turns 19 years old, whichever occurs first. • An emancipated minor is defined as: o A person under age 18 who has been married. The marriage must not have been annulled. If a minor parent’s marriage ends due to divorce, the minor is still considered emancipated. A copy of the marriage certificate must be kept in the casefile; or o A person under age 18 who has received a Decree of Emancipation issued from a District Court or an established Tribal Court. A copy of the emancipation decree must be kept in the case file. • A minor parent who is not emancipated cannot apply for subsidy benefits for their dependents. An adult household member must apply on the minor’s behalf. If the minor parent is not living with any guardians, the case must be assessed for a CPS referral. Note: The individual signing the application must be able to be held legally responsible for the statements made on the application. A minor cannot be held legally responsible (unless they are emancipated), so they cannot complete the application process. Exception: If NEON Child Care Referral has been received for a minor parent, services must be provided based upon the referral information. • If a minor parent has not graduated high school or obtained a GED, their primary purpose of care must be Student and full-/part-time care is based on the school schedule. Note: A minor parent can be attending school and working and receive subsidy assistance for both purposes of care. If the minor parent is out of school for a break with the 200- Non-Financial Factors of Eligibility [7] MTL 01/24 July 1, 2024