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West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Chapter 3

West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Page 33 Chapter 3 Eligibility Determination Groups

Graduation ceremonies need not take place prior to the child reaching age 19. As long as all courses or training programs are fully completed prior to the child reaching age 19, the child is eligible. 3.3.2 LIVING WITH A SPECIFIED RELATIVE (WV WORKS), OR (PARENTS/CARETAKER RELATIVES MEDICAID, AFDC-RELATED MEDICAID) The child must be living with a specified relative, who assumes primary responsibility for the child’s care, in a place established as the relative’s home. In order for an individual to be a caretaker relative, he must be a specified relative. Legal custody or guardianship of a child does not, in itself, qualify a person as a specified relative. A specified relative is any relation by blood, marriage, or adoption who is within the fifth degree of kinship to the dependent child, as shown in the table below. Degree of Relationship Natural or Adoptive Parents Blood Relative Step Relative First Degree Mother; father

Stepfather; stepmother Second Degree Brother; sister; grandparent; Half-sister; Half-brother Stepbrother; stepsister; step- grandparent Third Degree

Great grandparent; aunt; uncle; nephew; niece Step-great-grandparent; step- aunt; step-uncle; step- nephew; step-niece Fourth Degree Great-great-grandparent; great-aunt; great-uncle; first cousin Step-great-great-grandparent; step-great-aunt; step-great- uncle; step-first cousin Fifth Degree Great-great-great- grandparent; great-great- aunt; great-great-uncle; first cousin once removed (child of first cousin) Step-great-great-great- grandparent; step-great-great- aunt; step-great-great-uncle; step-first cousin once removed

Under certain circumstances, eligibility continues during periods of separation of the child and the specified relative. Refer to Chapter 2.2.1. A specified relative is defined as follows: • Natural or adoptive parents. o If a child is living with his natural father and paternity has been legally established, the father is considered a specified relative; a relative of the father of a child born