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Revision 25-4; Effective Oct. 1, 2025
TANF
To receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits, unmarried minor parents must live:
- with a parent, legal guardian or adult relative; or
- in a local second chance home, maternity home or other residential facility that provides an adult-supervised living arrangement, if available in the local community, if the unmarried minor parent:
- has no parent, legal guardian, or adult relative:
- who is living;
- whose whereabouts are known; and
- who is willing and appropriate; or
- cannot live with such a person because of prior or potential abuse or neglect.
- has no parent, legal guardian, or adult relative:
Note: The unmarried minor parent does not have to be included in a TANF EDG with the minor parent's parent unless required by policy.
Staff must notify the minor parent of available local facilities.
An unmarried minor parent and child are not required to live in a second chance home, maternity home or other adult-supervised living arrangement if it is not in their best interest. Staff, using the prudent person principle, determines if the unmarried minor parent's current living arrangement is in their best interest.
In their best interest means either:
- there is no parent, legal guardian or adult relative that the minor parent and child can live; or
- there is no adult-supervised facility in the community; or
- their current living arrangement provides as much or more safety and emotional or financial security than living in a local adult-supervised facility.
Examples:
- An unmarried minor parent is employed, their child has safe child care, and the move would result in the loss of employment.
- An unmarried minor parent lives alone or with a family friend, has no living adult relative, and no alternative adult-supervised facility is available in the community.
Related Policy
A-931 Failure to Comply
Revision 25-4; Effective Oct. 1, 2025
TANF
Staff must disqualify an unmarried minor parent who fails to comply with the requirement to live with a parent, legal guardian, adult relative, or in an adult-supervised living arrangement.
Related Policy
Budgeting for a Legal Parent Disqualified for Alien Status, Failure to Prove Citizenship, Noncompliance with the Unmarried Minor Parent Domicile Requirement or State Time Limits, A-1362.1