Kinship Care Special Considerations
 
(01/01/24 – 12/31/24)
Kinship Care provides special considerations in the application process and CA eligibility requirements to nonparent caretaker relative (NPCR).
 
NOTE When the child is placed in the home by the Department of Child Safety (DCS), a Tribal Court or a Tribal Child Welfare Agency in Arizona, see CA Foster Care (CA-FC) - Overview.
 
Kinship Care participants receive the following special considerations:
 
Base the eligibility determination on the A1 Need Standard. Verification for the Need Standard is not required.
Complete the eligibility determination as soon as possible, but no later than 20 calendar days from the date the application is received in the FAA office. (See Determining Eligibility)
Advise the Kinship Care participant to contact Community Information and Referral for other potential supportive services.
 
When an application is received in the FAA office, FAA designated staff must determine whether the application indicates the following Kinship Care criteria:
 
The application is for child only CA benefits. (See Child Only Case(g) and SPRD nonparents)
The PI is an NPCR(g).
 
On REAP, key KS in the REFERRAL SOURCE field.
 
Register the application for the programs requested by the participant. Schedule the appointment within five workdays(g) of the date of application.
 
Register all people in the caretaker relative(g)'s family(g) of the child for whom benefits are being requested. This is so AZTECS is able to conduct the CA Needy Family Test.
 
The case may fail the CA Needy Family Test due to the income of the NPCR and their family. When this occurs, the CA case is ineligible.
 
The FAA worker must ensure that the KS Referral Source Code displays on CAP2 and RESE next to all of the following:
 
The PI who is coded OU on SEPA
The child for whom benefits are requested
All people within the caretaker relative's family of the child for whom benefits are requested
 
When the REFERRAL SOURCE field is keyed on REAP, the Referral Source Code displays on RESE next to all participants.
 
When the Referral Source Code does not display on RESE, key the KS Referral Source Code next to one of the following:
 
The PI who is coded OU on SEPA
The child coded IN or BC on SEPA
Any person within the caretaker relative's family of the child for whom benefits are requested.
 
Key KS in the first available AF ALERT TYPE field on PRAP.
 
When the child lives with a NPCR, and the PI is only requesting CA benefits for the child, see Child Only CA requirements for special policy and procedures.
 
When the NPCR chooses to be included in the CA benefit, the Kinship Care considerations previously listed do not apply. Process the application as a regular CA application.
 
The child is not eligible for CA when the child meets any of the following:
 
Receiving guardian subsidy payments from DCS
Placed in licensed foster care by DCS
Placed in a group home by DCS