Families Together provides financial support for families of children who are placed in out-of-home care, to ensure permanency occurs promptly and family stability is maintained. Families eligible for Families Together may be parents(s) and children, or children living with other related or non-related caretakers.
This financial assistance can be provided at any point in time that there is a plan for reunification of the family to occur within sixty (60) days.
Families Together policy is based on the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.
This section describes eligibility requirements for Temporary Assistance, plan to reunify family, 72 hour Family Support Team Meeting, first month of eligibility for Families Together, households who are receiving Temporary Assistance, households who are applying for Families Together, and application processing.
Must meet the Temporary Assistance eligibility factors set forth in 0205.000.00.
EXCEPTION: CHILD IN THE HOME OF PAYEE
Families receiving Temporary Assistance for a child who is removed form the home and placed in out-of-home care, may continue to receive cash assistance for sixty days if there is a clear plan to return the child to the home within sixty days.
EXCEPTION: The total months a family receives Families Together payments will count as one (1) month of their sixty (60) month lifetime limit.
Families receiving a Temporary Assistance cash grant for a child who is removed from the home and placed in out-of-home care may continue to receive cash assistance for sixty (60) days for the child.
In order to receive cash benefits, there must be a clear plan to return the child to the home within sixty (60) days. This will be a plan agreed to during the 72-hour Family Support Team Meeting, or its equivalent, in counties not utilizing a Family Support Team.
The Income Maintenance SSCM or caseworker handling the family's application for Families Together participates in this meeting. The SSCM or caseworker's role is to provide expertise in the area of financial, medical and childcare support available to the family through programs administered by Income Maintenance.
For a child included in a Temporary Assistance cash payment in the month s/he is placed in alternative care, the first month of eligibility for a Families Together payment is the month following the month the child leaves the home.
Payment may also be made for one additional month, if the 60th day from the date of placement falls in that month and the child is expected to return home by the 60th day.
For a family receiving Temporary Assistance, the grant received prior to the removal of the child(ren) will remain the same.
A family with a clear plan for a child who has been in alternative care to return home within sixty (60) days may be eligible to receive Temporary Assistance on the child(ren), under Families Together.
The normal application processing standard of thirty (30) days from date of request is used for Families Together applications. All eligibility factors for Temporary Assistance apply except Child Living in the Home of Payee. These applications will be completed prior to the 30th day, or sooner, whenever possible.
If eligibility exists approve for Families Together. Complete IMU5 approval the same as Temporary Assistance approval. The Families Together payment is made for the month in which the 30th day from application falls, or the month of approval, whichever is earlier.
A second payment may be made for the month following the month of approval when the child has not returned. This should occur within sixty (60) days from the date of application.
The first payment will be an amount equal to a full month's grant for a Temporary Assistance family of the size that includes their children.
The financial need of the family including the child(ren) not in the home must be determined.
Follow Temporary Assistance IMNL policy 0210.000.00 to determine need.
The resources of the family including the child(ren) not in the home must be determined.
Follow Temporary Assistance IMNL policy 0205.005.00.
The income of the family including the child(ren) not in the home must be determined.
Follow Temporary Assistance IMNL policy 0210.000.00.
When eligibility on all factors exists, the amount of the grant is equal to the current payment amount for Temporary Assistance.
The family size used to determine the grant amount includes the child(ren) who is placed in out of home care.
The case record should contain a notation as to which months Families Together payments were made. Record this information on the IM-34.
Policy references removed per memo above.
When the child returns to the home the Families Together payments cease. If eligibility continues to exist, payment is made in the form of Temporary Assistance.
There should be no gap in cash assistance payments. No adjustments need to be made.
Stop reporting the payment on the monthly report.
If it becomes known that a child(ren) will not be returning to the home by the previously planned date, eligibility for Families Together payments ceases.
If this is known before any payment has been made, no payment should be made. If a payment has been made no additional payment is to be made. No overpayment will be assessed against the family.
Follow procedures set out in IMNL 0225.030.00 to remove a child(ren).
When a family receives only Families Together payments, only one month counts toward the forty five (45) month lifetime limit for Temporary Assistance.
NOTE: The Time Limit Tracking (TIMETRAK/FM6H) screen automatically records the Families Together month on the second month of receipt.