Prohibition Against Payment of Temporary Assistance to Teenage Parents Not Living in Adult Supervised Settings

PURPOSE: This rule prohibits the payment of Temporary Assistance to teenage parents not living in adult supervised settings. (1) Except as provided in section (2), for the purpose of the administration of the Temporary Assistance Program, the Division of Family Services shall not provide assistance to an individual who has not attained eighteen (18) years of age, is not married, and has a minor child in his/her care, if the individual and the minor child do not reside in a place of residence maintained by a parent, legal guardian, or other adult relative of the individual as such parent’s, guardian’s, or adult relative’s home. (2) In the case of an individual described in section (3) of this rule, the Division of Family Services shall provide, or assist the individual in locating a maternity home, or other appropriate adult-supervised supportive living arrangement, taking into consideration the needs and concerns of the individual, unless the Division of Family Services determines that the individual’s current living arrangement is appropriate, and thereafter shall require that the individual and the individual’s minor child reside in such living arrangement as a condition of the continued receipt of assistance or in an alternative appropriate arrangement should circumstances change and the current arrangement cease to be appropriate. (3) For purposes of section (2) the “individual” means an individual who has not attained eighteen (18) years of age, is not married, and has a minor child in his/her care and— (A) The individual has no parent, legal guardian, or other appropriate adult relative described in subsection (3)(B) of his/her own who is living or whose whereabouts are known; (B) No living parent, legal guardian, or other appropriate adult relative, who would otherwise meet applicable criteria to act as the individual’s legal guardian, of such individual allows the individual to live in the home of such parent, guardian, or relative; or (C) The Division of Family Services determines that— 1. The individual or the minor child referred to in section (1) is being or has been subjected to serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation in the residence of the individual’s parent or legal guardian; 2. Substantial evidence exists of an act or failure to act that presents an imminent or serious harm if the individual and the minor child lived in the same residence with the individual’s own parent or legal guardian; or 3. The Division of Family Services otherwise determines that it is in the best interest of the minor child to waive the requirement of section (1) with respect to the individual or the minor child. AUTHORITY: sections 207.020 and 208.040.5, RSMo 1994.* Emergency rule filed Feb. 18, 1998, effective March 1, 1998, terminated Aug. 10, 1998. Original rule filed Jan. 16, 1998, effective Aug. 1, 1998. *Original authority: 207.020, RSMo 1945, amended 1961, 1965, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1993 and 208.040.5, RSMo 1949, amended 1955, 1969, 1982, 1985.