A parent or other caretaker who is needed in the home to care for another household member who has a physical or a mental disability may be exempt from work participation. In order to meet this exemption, there must be no other satisfactory alternative plan or care available.
For this exemption, a disabled individual is defined as:
- A disabled child (age 18 or under) who lives in the household;
- A disabled parent who lives in the household; or
- Any other disabled adult household member.
A Temporary Assistance (TA) recipient who is the primary caretaker for a disabled parent, child, or other adult household member is exempt until resources are available to enable the recipient to be away from the home without jeopardizing the safety or health of the disabled family or household member.
All other options for care must be exhausted before deciding to make the recipient exempt from work participation activities. Explore the availability of community resources that may provide appropriate day care or respite care services for the disabled child or adult. When appropriate, the recipient may enlist other family members or friends as part-time or full-time care givers for the child or adult. Missouri Work Assistance (MWA) case managers assist the family in the search for resources within the community to provide care for the disabled child or adult.
If no other caretaker resources exist, substantiate the need for the recipient to care for the disabled member of the household by obtaining a written statement or other documentation from a medical professional concerning the recipient-caretaker responsibilities.