FAA3.B Absent Parent (AP) Screens : 01 Absent Parent Requirements
Absent Parent Requirements
 
(01/01/24 – 12/31/24)
Absent Parent (AP) screens are a series of screens used to key information related to the absent parent. Complete AP screens for the mother, when applicable, and only one alleged father, when applicable, per child. (See Legal Father)
 
NOTE The Division of Child Support Services (DCSS) can only pursue separate court orders when there are multiple children included in the budgetary unit(g) and the children do not all have the same alleged father. DCSS can pursue a court order for each alleged father.
 
Use these screens only when CA benefits are requested for a child because of continued absence (CA) or death (DE) of the AP.
 
NOTE The AP screens do not apply to NA only cases.
 
Key as much information as can be obtained from the participant. The information that AZTECS requires is as follows:
 
●A child must be connected to an absent parent on APCR when the Deprivation Codes of CA or DE are keyed on SPRD.
●The CO Cooperation Code must be keyed in the AF COOPERATION CODE field on APPD for new participants referred to DCSS. This enables the Arizona Case Record System (AZCARES) to transmit DCSS cooperation data to FAA. An automated process extracts the date of cooperation from the DCSS data and updates the DATE OF AF COOPERATION field on APPD within three workdays(g).
 
Key the AP screens for the following:
 
●The absent or deceased parent of each child in the budgetary unit.
●An absent ex-spouse when alimony has been assigned.
●The absent legal or natural parents, when applicable. Legal parents include any of the following:
The mother of the child
Anyone who was married to the mother of the child at the time of the child's birth (See Legal Father)
Anyone who was married to the mother of the child during the ten months before the child's birth
 
NOTE See Exempt from Cooperation for a listing of participants who are exempt from cooperating with DCSS.
 
Key the most current and best available information on the AP screens, except in the following situations:
 
●It is known at the time of the interview that information is changing before the approval date, leave it blank and complete it when the information becomes available
●Information is unknown at the time of the interview and it continues to remain unknown at the time of approval, key unknown in the field
●A participant refuses to answer any of the questions, key refuses to answer in the field (See Refusal to Cooperate With DCSS)
 
Review AP screens at each renewal. Ask the participant whether any new AP information is available. When new information is reported, update the applicable AP screens.
 
When a participant refuses to cooperate with DCSS, see Refusal to Cooperate With DCSS.
 
NOTE AP information must be keyed into AZTECS before case approval.
 
When AZTECS is unavailable at renewal and the AP screens cannot be reviewed, ask the participant whether there is any new information available. Key any new information on the AP screens when AZTECS becomes available.