Financial Programs

Parents have the responsibility to support their minor children until they are emancipated by turning age 18, through marriage, or a court order. Parental income is also considered available to children under age 18 who live with them - whether or not the children are emancipated. As a result, the eligibility for a parent under age 18 depends upon the policy in the following sections.

If a parent under age 18 is not eligible for assistance because of one of the following rules, then the parent’s dependent child is also NOT eligible. This is because a parent and a dependent child must be included in the same filing unit.