The Child Must Also Meet the Following KTAP Technical Eligibility Requirements

Volume III OMTL-500 KTAP Program R. 3/1/16

MS 5050 KINSHIP CARE TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS (1)

[For a determination of eligibility for Kinship Care (KC), the Family Support worker must first receive from Protection and Permanency (P&P) forms KIM-78KC, KC-01 and P&P Central Office approval letter for the child. These forms and approval letter must have been received by 3/31/13 in the local Family Support office. After 3/31/13, no new applications were accepted unless it involved a transfer of custody by P&P from one caregiver to another.

If the child is placed by P&P with another caretaker relative due to the death, illness, or active duty military services of the initial caregiver, the child remains eligible for Kinship Care. An application may be approved for a new caregiver. Forms KIM-78KC and KC-01 must be completed and the approval e-mail from P&P Central Office provided for the new caregiver prior to approval of the application.

The child must also meet the following KTAP technical eligibility requirements:

A. Age is established per KTAP policy, refer to MS 2310.

B. The KC caregiver must be a relative, refer to MS 2328.

C. Residence with the KC caregiver in Kentucky.

D. A child may remain KC eligible if temporarily absent from the home and the absence reason meets the criteria in MS 2338.

E. Children age 16 and older must attend school or an equivalent secondary program, refer to MS 2316.

F. Rights to child support must be assigned to the State during the application process. Refusal to assign support rights by signing form KIM 125, NCP Fact/Information Sheet and Assignment of Rights, generated by Worker Portal results in denial of a Kinship Care application.

G. Both parents must be absent from the KC caregiver’s home. Referrals to Child Support Enforcement are completed unless a good cause reason exists, refer to MS 3050.

H. KTAP standard filing unit policy applies with an exception. A child eligible for the Kinship Care program, due to abuse, neglect or the death of both parents, living in the home of a relative with a sibling receiving KTAP (living with the relative, but not due to abuse or neglect or death of both parents) is not required to be in the same case.

Example: Grandmother receives KTAP for one grandchild. This child is in her home for a reason other than abuse, neglect or the death of both parents. Grandmother is approved as a KC caregiver for a sibling of the KTAP child placed with her due to abuse. The KC child is not added to the KTAP case. A separate Kinship Care case is approved for the child placed with grandmother due to abuse. I. [Payments for Kinship Care are discontinued if the child is in foster care, a residential treatment facility, a psychiatric residential treatment facility, or a detention center.

J. If the child is returned to a parent’s home prior to permanent custody being established for reunification purposes on a trial basis, the Kinship Care case is discontinued. The reunification trial period can last up to 60 days.

1. If the child is returned to the KC caretaker relative’s home within the 60 day trial period, the Kinship Care case can be reapproved after receipt of verification from P&P and if all other eligibility factors are met. The effective date of the reapproval is the date the child is returned to the KC caretaker relative’s home.

2. If the child returns to the KC caretaker relative’s home any time after the 60 day trial period lapses, the Kinship Care case cannot be reapproved. The caretaker relative may apply for KTAP.]