County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSACalWORKs Program Guide Number Page Temporary Absence From The Assistance Unit 41500C 1 of 3 Revision Date July 1 2020 Background Any member of an Assistance Unit AU may be considered temporarily absent when absent from the home for one full calendar month or less A child may be considered to be living in the home of a caretaker relative even though the child andor the caretaker relative is temporarily absent from the home Purpose To define the factors to be considered when determining temporary absence status This material revision is to reformat the section Policy Length of Temporary Absence Rules Any member of the AU can be temporarily absent from the home for one calendar month or less One full calendar month is from the first day of the month through the last day of the month If the individual is absent for the entire month of February the calendar month is not considered completed until a full 30 days has transpired A person confined in a correctional facility on the first of any month and expected to remain for one calendar month or more is to be considered permanently absent Examples On February 2nd an AU member leaves the home to visit other family and returns on March 16th The person left after the 1st and was not gone for one calendar month They would be considered temporarily absent On April 16th an AU member leaves home due to a death in the family and does not return until June 3rd The person was gone more than one calendar month May and is not eligible for aid in June In a nonleap year an AU member leaves the home on February 1st The person is not considered absent until March 3rd after 30 days away from home Evaluating for Length of Absence Exception Factors The following factors must be evaluated in determining exceptions to the one calendar month time limit for temporary absence The caretaker relative must continue to exercise responsibility for care and control of the child The absent person has the ability to return In the case of an absent child the caretaker relative has the ability to require the return of the child to the home The caretaker relative continues to contribute to the support of the child Verification Verification is required to document the basis of any exception to the one full calendar month time limit for temporary absence described below Documentation consists of a thirdparty verification and a case comment explanation Example County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSACalWORKs Program Guide Number Page Temporary Absence From The Assistance Unit 41500C 2 of 3 The AU reports that a child has been hospitalized Verification is required to document the basis of the temporary absence Acceptable evidence that a child is hospitalized may include but is not limited to the following An admittance documentation from the hospital A letter from the admitting medical doctor or other legally qualified medical professional Other documentation determined to be acceptable evidence that the child has been admitted to the hospital The documentation must include the date the child was admitted to the hospital and if possible the anticipated duration of the hospital stay If the child remains hospitalized beyond the anticipated duration of the hospital stay a new verification is required Reasons for Exceptions to the Length of Absence Time Limit The following situations are exceptions to the one full calendar month time limit for a temporary absence from the home Reason for Absence Hospital Stay Employment Institution of Higher Learning and Educational School leading to high school diploma or equivalent Vocational School leading to a job A Child with an Individualized Education Plan IEP A Child in a Licensed Group Home Description As of January 1 2014 Any AU member may be considered temporarily absent during a hospital stay A hospital stay may include any inpatient admission to a medical hospital a psychiatric care facility or drug andor alcohol rehabilitation treatment facility An AU member absent from the home because of work is temporarily absent for the duration of the job Absence from the home to search for a job does not qualify for this exemption An AU member who is away from home to attend one of these institutions is considered temporarily absent when there is no local school that provides the same preparatory opportunities Individuals who qualify for this exemption continue to be considered temporarily absent during the period they are in school or training A child who is away from home to attend a school that meets their special needs is temporarily absent when there is no local school that can meet the childs needs When a child is in a licensed group home due to a crisis situation such as their parent o Being hospitalized o Being Incapacitated o Receiving respite care services to maintain family stability is considered temporarily absent if Foster Care is not paying for the childs care and The caretaker relative continues to have care and control over the child This exemption is limited to the duration of the parents illness or the other family crisis County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSACalWORKs Program Guide Number Page Temporary Absence From The Assistance Unit 41500C 3 of 3 A child placed in outofhome care by a Childrens Services Protective Services Worker If the childs family is considered to be a CalWORKs Family Reunification then the child is considered temporarily absent for up to 180 days The absence may be extended by order of Juvenile Court The child continues to be considered temporarily absent until returned home or reunification services are terminated by the Juvenile Court Procedure None Program Impacts None References EAS 82812 Sunset Date This policy will be reviewed for continuance by July 31 2023 Approval for Release Rick Wanne Director Eligibility Operations