TEEN PARENTS

A minor/teen parent is a parent under the age of eighteen, including the month of his or her eighteenth birthday, who has a dependent child in his or her care.

To be eligible for Temporary Assistance, a minor parent must live in a place of residence maintained by his/her own parent, legal guardian, or other adult relative or in some other adult supervised supportive living arrangement.  (Refer to Section 0205.030.10 Required Living Arrangements for Minor Parents)  Teen parents are required to participate in a work activity with the assistance of DFS case management.  Education is the required activity for teen parents without a high school diploma or the equivalent.  (Refer to Section 0270.005.10 Teen Parents)  The month following his/her 18th birthday the parent will be considered a single parent household for work activities and participation hours.

NOT SUBJECT TO 60-MONTH TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE LIFETIME LIMIT

When a Teen Parent is attending school and entered in the JOBS system in Education Related to Employment (component 18) or Vocational Education & Training (component 04) s/he is NOT subject to the 60-month Temporary Assistance lifetime limit.  The month following their 18th birthday begins the count towards their 60-month lifetime limit, even if they remain in an educational activity.  In that first month they are considered a single parent for work activities/hours.  It is recommended that the Self-Sufficiency Case Manager (SSCM) encourage Teen Parents to complete their educational activity.

SUBJECT TO 60-MONTH TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE LIFETIME LIMIT

When a Teen Parent is NOT attending school BUT is participating in another work activity s/he is subject to the 60-month lifetime limit no matter what their age.

When a Teen Parent is NOT participating in any work activity s/he is subject to the 60-month lifetime limit.  Conciliation and sanctioning should be explored.

CARING FOR A DISABLED INDIVIDUAL

Any parent or caretaker is exempt from the 60-month lifetime limit and participation in a work activity if they are needed in the home to care for a disabled individual who has a physical or a mental handicap.  In order to meet this exemption there must be no other satisfactory alternative plan or care available.  A disabled individual is a child (age 18 or under) and/or disabled parent/adult household member.  Recipients who have a disabled parent/adult/child household member will be exempt until resources are available to enable the recipient to be away from the home without jeopardizing the safety or health of the family member.

To substantiate the need for a parent/caretaker to care for a member of the household, obtain a written statement by a physician and file it in the record.

Explore the availability of community resources that may provide appropriate child care services for the child.  The participants may know of family supports or friends who are appropriate care givers for the child.  The Child Development Plan (IM-309C) must follow policy for availability, suitability, and affordability of child care.  (Refer to Section 0255.010.00 Temporarily Excluded From Participation In Work Activities For Single Parent Households With A Child Under Age Six (6) Unable To Attain Needed Child Care.)

Staff will assist the family in their search for resources within the community to provide care for the disabled adult.

CODING

TEEN PARENTS

The following work requirements have been added to the IMU5 (field 13P1) and JOBS system (on JIND) to identify Teen Parents:

• "T"-Teen Parent Under Age 18 AND Attending An Educational Activity (NOT Subject to Lifetime Limit)

• "F"-Teen Parent NOT Attending An Educational Activity (Subject to Lifetime Limit)

• Under age 18,
• Not Married,
• With a Child 12 WEEKS of age or older, and
• Who have NO school diploma or equivalent.

The system will automatically change the work requirement codes of T and F to Mandatory (M) the month following a teen parent's 18th birthday.  The individual should be contacted to discuss work participation.

NEEDED IN THE HOME TO CARE FOR A DISABLED INDIVIDUAL - EXEMPTION 05

A new exemption code of 05 has been developed to identify recipients needed in the home to care for a disabled individual.  Participants coded exempt 05 are exempt from the 60-month lifetime limit and work activities.

TEMPORARILY EXCLUSION 3 - NEEDED IN HOME TO CARE FOR DISABLED CHILD OR DISABLED PARENT/ADULT HOUSEHOLD MEMBER

Exclusion code 3 - Needed in the Home to Care for Disabled Child or Disabled Parent/Adult Household Member has been made obsolete.

ITME

The following codes have been added to the ITME system to identify the new exemptions from the 60-month lifetime limit:

• EA - Teen Parent Under Age 18 AND Attending An Educational Activity
• EB - Needed in the home to care for a disabled individual

Teen parents currently under the age of 18 and participating in an educational component (18 A-D or 04) have been converted to a T work requirement code.  Teen parents NOT participating in an educational component have been converted to an F.

Teen parents with a child under the age of 12 WEEKS coded E 01 will remain in the system.  Staff should set a priority to contact the individual to discuss work participation immediately after the 12 weeks exemption.

Participants coded Exclusion 3 have been coverted to Exempt 05 - Needed in the Home to Care for a Disabled Individual by the system.  At the next contact, staff should confirm correct coding or make appropriate changes.

Individuals participating in Component 19 - Treatment/Support Activity should be reviewed within ninety (90) days for accuracy.  If the appropriate code is Exempt 05, update the IMU5/JIND system and ITMU effective with the date of this memorandum.

All cases reaching the 60-month lifetime limit should be reviewed to check for proper coding retrospective to July 2002 for teen parents in an educational component or a parent/caretaker needed in the home to care for a disabled individual.  Do not close a Temporary Assistance case if one of these situations exists.

CODE SHEETS

IMU5 and Case Management Code Sheets will be updated on the Intranet at a later date.  Make pen and ink changes on your hard copy until the code sheets are revised.
 

• Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.

• Begin using the appropriate work requirement codes (T and F) for Teen Parents in the IMU5 and JOBS system with the receipt of this memorandum.

• Begin using Exemption 05 for recipients needed in the home to care for a disabled individual immediately.

• Discontinue use of Temporary Excluded reason 3-Needed in Home to Care for Disabled Child or Disabled Parent/Adult Household Member with the receipt of this memorandum.

• Begin using the new codes (EA and EB) in the ITME system immediately.

• Make pen and ink changes on the IMU5 and Case Management Code Sheet until the code sheets are revised and updated on the Intranet.