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Defining Needy Families A needy family is defined as a minor child and their parent(s) or other adult specified relative with whom they live who meet the income and resource standards established under this TANF State Plan. Eligibility for TANF is also extended to pregnant individuals who have no other children living with them.

Minor Child

A minor child is under age 18 or is age 18 and a full-time student in a secondary school or in the equivalent level of vocational or technical training. Specified Relative

A specified relative is defined as an adult who:

 Is exercising responsibility for the care and control of the child by making and carrying out plans for the support, education and maintenance of the child and applying for assistance on behalf of the child. The finding that a relative is exercising care and control of the child is made whether the relative is the parent or other relative of the child.

 Is maintaining a home in which the child lives with them or is in the process of setting up a home where the child will go to live with them within 30 days after receiving the first TANF payment.

 Is related to the child as follows:

- A blood relative who is within the fifth degree of kinship to the dependent child, including a first cousin once removed. Second cousins and more remote cousins are not within the fifth degree of kinship. A first cousin once removed is the child of one’s first cousin or the first cousin of one’s parent. The fifth degree of kinship includes great-great grandparents and great-great-great grandparents. The fifth degree of kinship also includes other relationships prefixed by great, great-great, grand, or great- grand. Blood relatives include those of half-blood.

- A parent by legal adoption and any of the adopting parent’s blood or adoptive relatives as described above.

- Stepfather, stepmother, stepbrother, and stepsister.

- A spouse of any of the relatives described above even though the marriage is terminated by death, separation, or divorce.