PM 03-06-01-f.
A Family Care Barrier exists when CAU determines an adult or minor parent is unable to work or participate in Work & Training Activities because they are needed in the home to provide full-time care for a related child under age 18 or spouse due to their medical condition. Care of other persons, such as parents or grandparents, does not qualify as a Family Care Barrier.
CAU determines the need for full-time care based on information submitted with a Medical Evaluation (Forms 183A and 183B). See WAG 03-13-02-c for complete instructions on obtaining the CAU determination when a person claims a family care barrier.
Starting with September 2001, a month does not count against the 60-month limit when CAU approves a family care barrier before the limit expires. When you receive Form 183C with CAU approval, enter Item 73 code M, care of child, or code Q, care of a spouse, for the person providing care. The presence of code M or Q stops the TANF counter for everyone in the case who has a counter of 60 or less. If a counter is over 60, it does not stop but the person remains eligible due to an exception to the 60-month limit.
In ACM or IPACS, enter code M or Q in Item 73. In AIS, choose FC (Family Care Child) or FS (Family Care Spouse) on TANF/REFUGEE CAF SCREEN #24A, WORK EXPERIENCE/REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS, and the system enters the code.
Item 73 codes M and Q require Item 80 code 156 DRD. If code 156 DRD is already present, there is no need to reenter it unless the review date has changed. If it is not present, enter code 156 DRD with the month and year the CAU review is due under PERSONS and code 3, for Family Care, under SUP. BY.
Reduce the TANF counter for any month(s) counted during the CAU approval process if the barrier was reported before the end of month 60. Start with the month in which the person reported the barrier to the Family Community Resource Center, and go through the month before code M or Q is effective. Do not reduce the counter for months prior to September 2001 or if the barrier was reported after the end of month 60. Complete and give the client YOUR TANF TIME LIMIT (Form 4335) if you reduce the counter.
A family care barrier ends when the care is no longer needed or the family fails to cooperate with a CAU review. Remove code M or Q effective the month after the barrier ends. Adjust the counter if it is under 61 and the action is not timely.
