Step-parent Workaround (May 2004)

Question: “The is follow up to our conversation regarding stepparent receiving K-Tap or MA for children, and the actual parent awarded custody is also in the home. We were instructed in Q & A dated May 2003, to do a "workaround' by changing the stepparent's status to "other" and changing the Custodial parent's status to "client" on Kases. It is also my understanding that to make Kames and Kases interface correctly, you would also reassign the stepparent's IV-A # to the parent/client’s MPI # and attach it to the parent's iv-d case. . This would work fine if the stepparent does not have a case. However, in this instance, she does. The stepparent receives MA for her child, her stepchildren, and for a common child, under. I have completed the workaround in iv-d XXXXXXX, and changed stepparent to other and added parent back as the client. However, I cannot reassign stepparent’s IV-A information to the parent. The stepparent has another IV-D case that does not involve the parent in this case. How do we do workaround when two cases are involved? If we reassign her IV-A # to his MPI, this would mess up IV-D XXXXXXX, in which she is the client. I know this has been addressed before, however, the Q&A I was referred to does not address the issue above. Either that, or I am not understanding the workaround correctly.”

Answer: According to the DCS Director's Office, the work around does not work on this case. Further, the work around will not work in any case when each adult in the IV-A case has a child. And, if it does work, the client name and the IV-A # do not match. In this case, enter the stepmother as the client, as the I-VA case is in her name. Both cases will then interface correctly.