770-3 MINOR PARENTS
Parents under the age of 18 may receive TA only if they meet certain conditions that are designed to ensure they live in an environment that enables them to learn and develop the skills necessary for self-sufficiency and responsible parenthood.
A minor parent is an individual who is:
Under age 18;
Not married;
Not emancipated; and
Not claimed
as a dependent on their parent's open TA
case.
Note:
When a minor parent applies for assistance; and then turns 18 in the month
they apply or the following month; and has graduated from high school,
the minor parent can choose to change the start date. Changing the start
date to when they will be considered an adult will allow the benefits
to go the minor parent without using a payee. The minor parent can
also choose to not change the start date and use a payee to receive assistance
from the time of application.
If the minor parent is not 18 on the first day of the month of their birthday,
then they are considered a minor parent until they are 18 on the first
of the next month.
A minor parent’s parent is the natural or adoptive parent of the minor parent, as defined in ATAP MS 712-3.
An adult relative is a caretaker relative as defined in ATAP MS 712-1, who is age twenty-one or older.
4. Adult-Supervised Supportive Living Arrangement
An adult-supervised living arrangement is a supportive living arrangement that:
Provides guidance, supervision, and other support services from a responsible adult who is at least 21 years of age;
Provides opportunities and encouragement to learn and practice independent living and parenting skills through experience, including child development, family budgeting, health and nutrition; and
Promotes the long-term economic independence and well-being of the minor parent and his or her child(ren), and provides strong support to help the minor parent meet his or her education and/or employment goals.
Supportive living arrangements must be approved by the Minor Parent Coordinator and Work Services case manager.
Each DPA office will have at least one Eligibility Technician I, II, III, or IV designated as a Minor Parent Coordinator whose role is to:
Complete good cause assessments or make arrangements for an assessment with a Work Services case manager;
Making the good cause determination;
Assist the minor parent to meet educational requirements;
Serve as the single point of contact for local resources and community partners relevant to services for minor parents;
Share information with minor parents about other programs and services available to them, regardless of whether or not the minor parent is eligible for assistance.
A Work Services case manager is an individual or agency on contract with DPA, or is working with DPA through an interagency agreement to:
Assess minor parents' living situations;
Assess minor parents' school attendance requirements;
Make recommendations on good cause determinations for live-at-home and school requirements;
Approve temporary alternative living arrangements; and
Provide case management services.
770-3 B. LIVE-AT-HOME REQUIREMENT
As a condition of eligibility for ATAP, a minor parent and his or her dependent child(ren) must reside in the household of the minor parent’s parent(s), legal guardian, or other adult relative unless good cause exists.
If good cause exists, the minor parent must reside in an approved adult-supervised living arrangement. The living arrangement must be licensed by OCS as a foster home or approved group home.
When a minor parent applies for assistance, inform the minor parent of the following eligibility requirements and responsibilities:
Live under adult supervision. The minor parent must live under adult supervision;
School attendance requirement. The minor parent must attend school or another appropriate training program, if the minor parent does not have a high school diploma or GED ;
Child support cooperation. The minor parent must cooperate with the Child Support Services Division (CSSD) unless the minor parent has good cause as defined in ATAP MS 723-1B. Inform the minor parent CSSD may contact the minor parent’s parent(s) as well as the dependent child’s absent parent for child support as a result of receiving ATAP benefits.
Change reporting. Minor parents must report changes on time. A child moving out of the home must be reported within 5 days; other changes which may affect their eligibility for assistance must be reported within ten days.
Payment restrictions. The ATAP benefit payment will be paid to the minor parent’s parent, legal guardian, or other adult relative, or if applicable, to the head adult of the adult-supervised living arrangement.
770-3 D. REFERRAL TO MINOR PARENT COORDINATOR
When a minor parent is living with his or her parent(s), legal guardian, or other adult relative; determine eligibility, and if eligible, approve assistance.
The minor parent must be referred to the DPA Minor Parent Coordinator and to Work Services case management at the time of application.
2. Minor Parent Does Not Live With a Parent, Legal Guardian, or Other Adult Relative
When a minor parent is not living with his or her parent(s), legal guardian, or other adult relative and the minor parent claims good cause for not doing so, immediately refer the minor parent to the Minor Parent Coordinator for a good cause determination. The Minor Parent Coordinator will either complete the assessment and make the good cause determination or make arrangements for the assessment with a Work Services case manager.
Do not approve assistance until the good cause determination is made and the Minor Parent Coordinator or Work Services case manager confirms that the minor parent:
Has good cause and is living in an adult-supervised living arrangement, or
The Minor Parent Coordinator or Work Services case manager confirms that the minor parent does not have good cause but the minor parent has moved into the minor parent's parent's, legal guardian's, or adult relative's home..
If the minor parent refuses to cooperate in the good cause determination or move to an acceptable living arrangement, the application must be denied or the case closed.
770-3 E. LIVE-AT-HOME GOOD CAUSE DETERMINATION
Good cause determinations occur when the minor parent claims that living with his or her parent(s), legal guardian, or other adult relative is not appropriate. The Minor Parent Coordinator or Work Services case manager will assist the minor parent in obtaining the information necessary to demonstrate good cause. Based on the information obtained, the Minor Parent Coordinator will decide if the minor parent has good cause to waive the live-at-home requirement. If the minor parent is referred to a Work Services case manager, the Minor Parent Coordinator will use the information provided by the Work Services case manager and the Work Services case manager’s recommendation in the good cause determination.
This evaluation may include a home visit to the minor parent's current residence and to the home(s) of the minor parent's parent(s), legal guardian, or other adult relative(s). The Minor Parent Coordinator may approve temporary living arrangements for up to 60 days while the good cause assessment is occurring.
The good cause reason and the good cause decision must be documented in the case record.
If good cause is determined, the minor parent must live in an approved, adult-supervised arrangement where the supervising adult is 21 years old or older.
Assistance must be denied or case closed if the minor parent refuses to cooperate:
In the good cause determination;
If good cause cannot be determined, in moving into the residence of his or her parent(s), legal guardian, or adult relative; or
If good cause is determined, in moving into an approved adult-supervised living arrangement.
Good cause for waiving the live-at-home requirement include, but are not limited to:
The minor parent's parents, legal guardian, or other adult relatives:
Are deceased;
Cannot be located;
Refuse to let the minor parent live with them; or
Are unable to let the minor parent live with them due to insufficient space or lease/rental prohibitions and restrictions.
The physical or emotional health or safety of the minor parent and/or his or her child would be jeopardized;
The minor parent lived apart from the minor parent’s parent for at least one year before either the birth of the dependent child or the minor parent’s application for assistance;
The minor parent is living in a licensed foster home or court approved living arrangement;
The minor parent is participating in a substance abuse treatment program which would not be available if he or she returned to the parent's, legal guardian's, or adult relative's home. The living arrangement must be re-examined when the minor parent leaves the program; or
The minor parent is participating in a work activity or in a vocational or educational program, the move would require the minor parent to change programs, and the Minor Parent Coordinator finds that the move would negatively affect the minor parent’s progress towards self-sufficiency. The living arrangement must be re-examined when the minor parent leaves the program.
Examples of the types of verification the Minor Parent Coordinator or Work Services case manager may use in the good cause determination include:
Findings from a home visit to the minor parent’s current residence and/or to the home of the minor parent’s parent(s), legal guardian, or other adult relative;
Collateral contacts with, or signed and dated statements from, individuals who are familiar with the minor parent’s circumstances;
Rental or lease agreements;
Death records, receipt of Social Security survivor's benefits;
Medical records, Community Health Aides (CHA), public health clinics; or
Office of Children Services (OCS), court or law enforcement records.
Note:
Any allegation or suspicion of abuse or neglect must be reported to OCS. See Chapter
115 of the Administrative Procedures Manual.
770-3 F. SCHOOL ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT
Minor parents must maintain an adequate level of school attendance in a secondary school or other appropriate training program unless the minor parent:
Has a high school diploma or GED ;
Has a dependent child under 13 weeks of age; or
Can show good cause for not attending school.
A minor parent is considered to be maintaining an adequate level of school attendance when:
Enrolled in and regularly attending a secondary school or appropriate training program; and
Attendance, as verified by an official of that school or program, is adequate to meet graduation or program certification requirements.
If a minor parent fails, without good cause, to maintain satisfactory attendance, they incur a penalty. See ATAP MS 723.
770-3 G. TREATMENT OF PARENT’S INCOME
When the minor parent lives with his or her parent(s), the income of the minor parent’s parent(s) is deemed available to the minor parent. See ATAP MS 770-8.
The ATAP benefit payment for the minor parent and minor parent’s child(ren) will be paid to the minor parent’s parent, legal guardian, or other adult relative; or if applicable, to the head adult of the approved supervised living arrangement, unless the Minor Parent Coordinator determines there is a valid reason for making the payment to the minor parent.
The payee must sign a Payee Agreement for Minor Parents (ATAP #1) form agreeing to receive the monthly assistance check and use it without delay to provide for the needs of the minor parent and the minor parent’s child(ren).
770-3 I. MINOR PARENT RESIDENCE CHANGE
If a minor parent moves out of his or her parent's, legal guardian's, or other adult relative's home, or an approved living arrangement, refer the minor parent to the Minor Parent Coordinator. The Minor Parent Coordinator will assess the situation, or make arrangements for an assessment with the Work Services case manager, and complete the good cause determination.
ATAP benefit payments are paid to the minor parent for up to 60 days while the Minor Parent Coordinator assesses the situation and makes the good cause determination.
If the Minor Parent Coordinator finds good cause does not exist and the minor parent refuses to live with a parent, legal guardian, or other adult relative, or in an approved living arrangement, the application must be denied or case closed with adverse action.
770-3 J. A MINOR PARENT IN A TWO-PARENT TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FAMILY
When a Mandatory Filing Unit (MFU) consists of a common child with two parents in the home, one under the age of 18 (minor parent) and the other parent 18 years of age or older (adult parent), the household is recognized as a Two-Parent (2P) TA family.
As a 2P household, the minor parent live-at-home and payee requirements are to be disregarded.
The minor parent referral process and school attendance requirements are not impacted by the 2P household designation. The minor parent will be referred to a Minor Parent Coordinator and then both parents will be referred to case management.
In order for EIS to properly account for this type of Two-Parent family, the caseworker must follow the EIS coding requirements presented below:
| Relationship Field on SEPA: | Adult Parent | (PI) | ||
| Minor Parent | (NR) | |||
| Common Child | (CH) | |||
| Principal Wage Earner/Incapacitated Field on SSDO: | Adult Parent | (P) | ||
| Minor Parent | (2) | |||
| Marital Status Field on MARS: | Minor Parent | (NM) | ||
| Specified Relative Field on SPRD: | Adult Parent | (Y) | ||
| Minor Parent Field on SPRD: | Minor Parent | (Y) | ||
| Living Arrangement Field on SPRD: | Minor Parent | (LN1, LN2, LN3 , etc.) | ||
| Deprivation Cause Field on SPRD: | Child | (choose 2 letter code appropriate for situation) | ||
The proper entry of the codes shown above ensure the following:
The MFU is reported as a 2P household (client participation impacts federal funding in this category.)
The adult parent's participation is counted toward the 60 month time limit.
The minor parent's participation is not counted toward the 60 month time limit.
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