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TANF POLICY MANUAL

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The appropriate caretaker relative must be a parent (1st degree), grandparent (2nd degree), sibling (2nd degree), great-grandparent (3rd degree), uncle or aunt (3rd degree), nephew or niece (3rd degree), great-great grandparent (4th degree), great-uncle or aunt (4th degree), first cousin (4th degree), great-great-great grandparent (5th degree), great-great uncle or aunt (5th degree), or a first cousin once removed (5th degree).

Example: First cousins share a grandparent. A child of one's uncle or aunt is his/her first cousin.

Example: A first cousin once removed is a child of one’s first cousin or one’s parent’s first cousin. The term removed means there is a difference of one generation.

2. Stepparent, stepbrother or stepsister.

3. Legally adoptive parent or other relative whose relationship to the child's parent is established by legal adoption. Adoption establishes a legal relationship to a new set of relatives. The adoptive relatives may qualify to receive benefits for an adoptive child.

4. Spouse, including same-sex spouse, of any person in the above groups even after the marriage ended in death or divorce.

EXCEPTION: Policy concerning required BG members supersedes the requirement that the caretaker relative be related to the child within the specified degree. For example, a grandmother may receive cash benefits for her grandchild and the grandchild's half-siblings, even though the grandmother is not related to those half- siblings. (See 3.2)

1. Legal Guardian Unless related to the child within the specified degree, a legal guardian/custodian cannot be payee.

2. Emergency Exception If an emergency situation arises such as the sudden death, desertion, or physical or mental illness of a parent/caretaker relative and other plans for a child's care cannot be made immediately, a change of payee may be made to an unrelated person in place of the parent or relative. (See 9.7.1)

3. Relationship Verification The relationship of the applicant/recipient (A/R) to the dependent child must be verified. If the A/R is a specified relative other than the parent, the relationship of the specified relative to the parent must also be established.

Sources of relationship verification include, but are not limited to:

A. Birth Certificate

B. DSS Form 3249, Newborn Verification of Application for Social Security Number, completed and signed by a hospital official.