TANF Eligibility for Minor Parent

To be included in the TANF benefit, a minor unmarried parent (under 18 years of age) must live with:

• A parent (natural, adoptive or stepparent)
• Legal guardian
• Other adult relative age 18 or older
• Live in a foster home
• Live in a maternity home
• Live in another supportive living arrangement supervised by an adult

Unless good cause is established as follows:

• The minor has no living parent or legal guardian who can be found
• The parent, legal guardian or other adult relative will not allow the minor to live in the home
• The physical or emotional health or safety of the minor or his/her child(ren) is jeopardized by living with the parent, legal guardian or other adult relative
• The minor parent has lived apart from the parent, legal guardian or other adult relative for at least one year before the birth of any dependent child(ren) or before the minor applied for TANF benefits
• The minor is legally emancipated pursuant to Chapter 4, Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes. (District court must grant the minor the authority to act on his/her own behalf.)

Policy 340:10-3-56(3) (P)

Minor as Adult Payee

To be considered as the adult payee for TANF, minors must be assuming the responsibilities of an adult and meet all conditions of TANF eligibility. A substitute payee can be used for some minors when appropriate.

Coding for Guardian, Conservator or Substitute Payee

FACS HH TAB – enter the “rel to payee field” for the minor parent as “applicant or recipient w/guardian, or conservator, or substitute payee”.

FACS Case Information TAB – “the guardian, substitute payee, conservator/extra address” field is updated to show the name of the minor payee’s guardian, substitute payee and the “extra address indicator” field is updated depending on the relationship of the individual to the minor payee.

Policy 340:10-3-59(d)

Parent(s) of a Minor Parent Income

When a minor parent is living in the home with his or her natural or adoptive parent(s) and the needs of the parent(s) are not included in the assistance unit, the parent’s income is considered available to the assistance unit and computed the same as stepparent income.  The income of a minor parent’s stepparent is not considered.  The parent of the minor parent may be designated as the substitute payee for the assistance unit.

Refer to OAC 340:10-3-56(a)(3)(O), 340:10-3-39(g), and 340:10-10-7 when the payee is an unmarried minor.

*To calculate as step-parent TANF income refer to TANF Step-Parent Income Computation Worksheet.

Additional Notes –

• The new MasterCard Debit card can be issued to minors regardless of age.
• Minor Parents do not complete the SASSI or other Substance abuse assessments as they are under 18 years of age.   Any major parent in the home is not required to complete these as their needs are not included in the benefit.