209.07 Continued Absence of a Parent: 30-Day Continued Absence Period (FAM)

___________________________________________________________

If 30 days of parental absence have not elapsed at the time of application for assistance but is anticipated, and all other eligibility factors have been met, financial *assistance will be initiated. However, no assistance payment is issued until the 30-days of continuous absence have actually elapsed and been verified through completion of DFA Form 773, Certification of Continued Absence.

Upon verification of continued absence, issue financial assistance benefits for any payroll periods for which the case would have been eligible except for verification of continuous absence.

*

The 30-day continued absence period is considered unbroken if:

• the absent parent returns home to visit the child; or

• the parents attempted—but failed—to reconcile and reunite the family during the 30-day continued absence period.

The 30-day continued absence period is considered to have been broken when:

• reunited parents separate after a temporary adjustment period has expired;

• a different absent parent is being used to determine deprivation; or

• the client, absent parent, or third party reports to the district office that the absent parent has returned to the home.

When the 30-day continuous absence period has been broken for one of the above reasons, a new period of 30 continuous days must be verified before financial *assistance benefits may be initiated again.