County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalWORKs Program Guide Minor Parent Assistance Unit Number 41500H Page 1 of 3 Revision Date July 1 2020 Background A minor parent is a pregnant or parenting minor under age 18 who has never been married The minor parent must be residing in an adultsupervised living situation The minor parent requirement is also applicable to a minor parent who is an undocumented noncitizen or receives Supplemental Security IncomeState Supplementary Payment SSISSP benefits Purpose To define the minor parent requirements This material revision is to provide clarifications to the minor parent regulation to update the referral process to Child Welfare Services CWS to reformat this section and to relocate the Questions and Answers material to Eligibility Essentials Policy Minor Parent Requirement To meet the minor parent residence requirement the minor parent must live with one of the following A senior parent A legal guardian An Adult Relative a relative age 18 or older who is within the degree of relationship specified for caretaker relatives In a Licensed Home a state licensed adultsupervised supportive living arrangement which includes a group home or a maternity home When a minor parent does not live in an appropriate living situation or meet one of the exceptions listed below the minor parent andor the minor parents Assistance Unit AU is ineligible for CalWORKs If two or more sibling minor parents live with their unaided senior parent a separate eligibility determination must be made for each minor parent If both unmarried minor parents of the child live together then each minor parent must be living in an appropriate adultsupervised living arrangement or meet one of the specified exceptions If only one of the minor parents meets this condition of eligibility only that minor parent and the child are aided The minor parent who does not meet the minor parent provisions is excluded from the AU Any income from that minor parent is counted in the budgeting process as a nonAU member Exemptions to Minor Parent Requirements The minor parent and their dependent child are exempt from the minor parent requirement when any of the following conditions exist an exception must exist for each senior parent Deceased Whereabouts Unknown Not allowed to Live in Home HealthSafety Live Apart for 12 Months Emancipation County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSACalWORKs Program Guide Number Page Minor Parent Assistance Unit 41500H 2 of 3 Minor Parent Claiming an Exemption When a minor parent claims to have an exemption take all the following actions Verify the exemption Grant CalWORKs if all other eligibility conditions are met Make a referral to Child Welfare Services CWS Minor Parent Services unless the minor is emancipated CWS will complete assessments within 30 days of the referral state that this is a minor parent investigation Minor Parent Eligibility Determination When a minor parent is eligible to be included in their own AU it is not necessary that the senior parent be present at the intakeannual renewal interview It is the minor parents responsibility to complete the required forms and provide all other necessary information All minor parents are required to complete a CW 25 Supplemental Statement of Facts Minor Parent and a SAR 23 Supplement to the Statement of Facts during any of the following Application Annual renewal When the minor has been living in a supervised setting and there is a change of address andor living arrangement Aid will be denied or discontinued when there is a failure or refusal to complete and return the CW 25 or SAR 23 after timely notification Minor Parent Who Claims a Risk When a minor parent alleges that living with a senior parentlegal guardian will jeopardize the physical or emotional health or safety of themselves or their child a referral will be made to CWS to have the allegation supported Also the Human Services Specialist HSS will contact the CWS Child Abuse Hotline at 858 5602191 or to the State of California toll free at 800 3446000 to report the safety concern httpwwwsandiegocountygovhhsaprogramscschildwelfareserviceschildabusehotlinehtml Refer to HHSA Chapter Policy Strategy and Program Development No HHSAH1 on how to report suspected child abuseneglect httpinsitesdcountycagovhhsaMisc20PoliciesChild20Abuse20Reportingpdf The referral must be documented in the case file Minor Parent Risk Assessment The CWS Social Worker will complete risk assessments within 20 days Immediate need risk assessments will be completed within 15 days The CWS Social Worker will complete the CWS portion of the CW 25 and return it to the HSS If the CWS Social Worker determines that there is a safety issue aid will be granted if all other eligibility conditions are met If the CWS Social Worker determines that there is not a safety issue aid will be County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalWORKs Program Guide Minor Parent Assistance Unit Number 41500H Page 3 of 3 denied or discontinued if the minor parent does not meet the Minor Parent Requirement or other exception Responsible Adult as the Payee Unless the minor parent is exempt from the minor parent requirement CalWORKs payments will be issued on behalf of the minor parent to the adult living in the home or to the licensed home Adult Refusal If the adult living in the home refuses to act as payee on behalf of the minor parent the minor parent may be the payee Minor Parent Refusal or Failure to Cooperate If the minor parent refuses or fails to cooperate in obtaining verification of the adults consent or refusal to act as payee on their behalf the minor parents AU is ineligible for CalWORKs Determination That Minor Parent Should Be Payee Whenever it is determined to be in the best interest of the minor parent and their child the minor parent may be the payee of their case instead of the adult living in the home with the minor parent Note Form CW 25A Payee Agreement for Minor Parent is required as a condition of eligibility when the minor parent lives in the home of a senior parent legal guardian or adult relative A CW 25A is not needed when the minor resides in an adultsupervised living arrangement In this situation use the facility as the payee Procedure Refer to Eligibility Essentials CalWORKs Questions Answers 41500H1 Minor Parent Requirement for different examples of Minor Parent scenarios Impacts None References EAS 89201 Sunset Date This policy will be reviewed for continuance by July 31 2023 Rick Wanne Director Eligibility Operations