WAG 03-05-03-c: Primary Sources to Verify "Living With"

  • School Age Children Not in Chicago Public Schools

    The primary source to verify "living with" for all school age children not attending a City of Chicago Public School is a properly completed and returned Form 541 or Form 541CF. The completed form must show the child's address and the relative who is responsible for the child. 

  • School Age Children in Chicago Public Schools

    The primary source to verify "living with" for all school age children attending a City of Chicago Public School is a Chicago Board of Education (CSOC) clearance. The clearance must show a match for the child's address and the relative who is responsible for the child. See WAG 22-08-12 for complete information on CSOC.

    NOTE: Chicago Board of Education Crossmatch data (CSOC clearance) can also be used to monitor "living with" and "school status" for school age children (ages 5 - 18). 

  • Preschool Age Children

    With the exception of newborns and children returned to the home by DCFS, the primary source for verifying "living with" for preschool age children is by: 

    • visual observation (seeing the child with the caretaker relative either in the home or Family Community Resource Center) plus one other verification source (see WAG 03-05-03-b), or
    • 2 verification sources or forms (see WAG 03-05-03-b).
  • Newborn Baby

    For a newborn baby, verify "living with" using the baby's birth certificate or hospital record of birth. 

  • Children Returned to the Home by DCFS

    For DCFS children returned to the homes from which they were removed, verify "living with" using DCFS Family Reunification Referral (CFS 301). 

  • School Age Children, Primary Source Unavailable or Questionable

    For school age children where the CSOC clearance information is disputed or when a Form 541 or Form 541CF is not returned, is incomplete, or is unavailable, verify "living with" by: 

    • visual observation (seeing the child with the caretaker relative either in the home or Family Community Resource Center) plus one other verification source or form (see WAG 03-05-03-b), or
    • 2 verification sources or forms (see WAG 03-05-03-b).

Example: Client with a school age child (age 10) applies during the summer. The school office is closed for summer vacation. To verify "living with", the Family Community Resource Center sees the child with the client in the Family Community Resource Center (visual observation), and gets a completed and signed Form 2540 from the client's landlord. This is acceptable proof of "living with".