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TANF POLICY MANUAL

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b. No living parent or legal guardian of the minor parent allows the minor parent to live in his/her home. c. The minor parent lived apart from his/her own parent or legal guardian for a period of at least one year before either the birth of the dependent child(ren) or the minor parent’s having applied for benefits.

d. The physical or emotional health or safety of the minor parent or dependent child(ren) would be jeopardized if they resided in the same residence with the major parent or legal guardian.

NOTE: The ES Worker will determine if this allegation is justified.

e. There is otherwise good cause for the minor parent and dependent child(ren) to receive assistance while living apart from the major parent, legal guardian, another adult relative or an adult supervised supportive living arrangement.

CAUTION: Documentation of good cause includes, but is not limited, to written statements from at least two corroborating persons showing that it is not in the best interest of the minor parent to live with his/her parents or legal guardian or in an adult supervised supportive living arrangement. One of these corroborating persons should be a professional, such as a school counselor, social worker or mental health professional.

When this living arrangement is required for a minor parent under the age of 18, and his/her dependent child(ren), the TANF cash benefits must be paid when possible, to a protective payee.

3.7 Temporary Absence All BG members must maintain a common place of residence. There may be times where a BG member is temporarily absent from the residence for purposes such as vacationing, visiting, hospitalization, convalescing, and school attendance. Temporary absence from the home is a circumstance in which one or more members of a household are not currently residing in the home shared by other household members, but they have not established residency elsewhere.

The Agency will not provide TANF cash assistance for a minor child or parent/caretaker relative who has been or is expected to be absent from the home for a period of 30 consecutive days or more; however, the ES Worker may extend the absence for up to an additional 60 days if it is determined that a longer absence would serve the best interests of the family. If the BG member does not return home within 30 days, DSS must be notified within ten days of the change. (See 9.8.2)

3.8 Institutionalization A person temporarily out of the home and living in an institution may be eligible for TANF, based on the institution and the type of care he/she is receiving. It is necessary to determine the type of facility and care the institution provides in order to determine TANF eligibility.