2.8.2 Temporary Absence of a Child

Applicants and participants who meet all financial and nonfinancial eligibility requirements are eligible for all W-2 Wisconsin Works services even if the Dependent Child A person who resides with a parent and who is under the age of 18 or, if the person is a full-time student at a secondary school or a vocational or technical equivalent and is reasonably expected to complete the program before attaining the age of 19, is under the age of 19 (ren) is temporarily absent from the home provided the following four conditions are all met:

The child will not be, or has not been, continuously absent for more than three months and is expected to return to the parent’s household.

The child’s absence is not the result of removing the child under a dispositional order, which places custody of the child outside the home, indefinitely or for three or more months.

The custodial parent continues to exercise responsibility for the care and control of the child: for instance, the parent is responsible for decisions about the child’s education, healthcare, and any medical treatment, or travel while the child is out-of-home.

The applicant or participant must report the absence of a child within five working days.

The parent’s requirement to report the child’s absence to the W-2 agency within five working days begins the day the parent knows the child is absent from the home.

Note : The five-day notification period is a federal TANF requirement and the time frame differs from the W-2 10-day notice of change requirement.

The temporary absence of a child policy is not applicable if there is at least one dependent child remaining in the home because then the dependent child requirement is met for W-2 nonfinancial eligibility.