N.M. Admin. Code § 8.102.400.15 - NMW LIVING IN THE HOME

A. Basic requirements:

(1) To be eligible for inclusion in the NMW cash assistance benefit group, the dependent child must live with a parent or a specified relative acting as the head of household. A child lives with a participant when:

(a) the participant's home is the primary place of residence for the child, as evidenced by the child's customary physical presence in the home;

(b) the participant may or may not be the child's parent or caretaker;

(c) the caretaker is the person taking primary responsibility for the care of the child, the caretaker will be a parent, relative or it may be an unrelated adult; the caretaker may or may not be the head of household.

(2) The determination of whether a given participant functions as the parent or caretaker relative for NMW purposes shall be made by the client unless other information known to the caseworker clearly indicates otherwise.

B. Extended living in the home:

(1) Under the circumstances described in this section, a child may be physically absent from the home for periods of time, but, because of the nature of the absence and because the parent or caretaker relative continues to exercise parental control over and to provide care for the child during the time the child is physically away from the family's home, the child nonetheless remains a regular on-going member of the benefit group. Similarly, under certain circumstances, the caretaker could be physically absent from the home and still retain membership status as caretaker for purposes of eligibility.

(2) The circumstances where this occurs are:

(a) attending boarding schools or college and

(b) inpatient treatment in medicaid facilities; in order for either the child or the caretaker to retain living-in-the-home status, the person acting as the caretaker must retain responsibilities for providing care, support and supervision for the child which are appropriate to the child's specific living arrangements.

(3) In considering whether the caretaker retains care and support responsibilities for a child who is hospitalized or at school, issues which shall be reviewed include the degree to which the parent:

(a) provides financial support to the child from the cash assistance payment;

(b) continues to maintain living quarters for the child until the child reestablishes full-time physical presence in the home; and

(c) continues to make decisions regarding the care and control of the child(ren), including decisions about medical care and treatment, class scheduling, and other similar parental decisions;

(d) maintains contact with the child through regular visits or telephone calls.

(4) The determination whether living-in-the-home status is retained is fully discussed with the caretaker and carefully documented in the case record.

(a) Boarding school: A child or caretaker relative who is attending school away from home lives in the home if the caretaker relative retains primary responsibility for the child relative.

(b) Medicaid:

(i) Caretaker: A caretaker receiving treatment in a Title XIX facility remains a member of the benefit group of which the caretaker was a member at the time of hospitalization until the caretaker leaves the facility and returns to that home or some other. If the caretaker does not return to the home following hospitalization, the living-in-the-home requirement shall be reassessed.

(ii) Dependent children: For the purposes of the cash assistance program, a child hospitalized for care or treatment in a Title XIX (medicaid) facility retains living-in-the-home status, without regard to the length of hospitalization, provided that the caretaker continues to be the person with primary responsibility for control of the child and for meeting the child's physical and emotional needs. This includes children receiving treatment in acute care hospitals, freestanding psychiatric hospitals and rehabilitation hospitals as well as residential treatment centers and group homes reimbursed by medicaid for psychosocial rehabilitation services. Medical assistance division institutional care staff may be contacted to verify New Mexico medicaid provider status of RTCs and group homes.

(5) For a child to retain living-in-the-home status while receiving rehabilitation services, including psychosocial treatment services, certain conditions must be met. Treatment of the child is the primary objective, but the program should be family-based with one objective being strengthening of family ties. Treatment plans must provide for a significant level of continuing authority, responsibility, and participation by the caretaker. In order for children receiving treatment in a Title XIX facility to be "living in the home", the caretaker must retain the authority to decide when the child should leave the facility, grant authority for provision of necessary treatment, and retain responsibility for provision of pocket money, clothing, etc.

(6) A significant issue in determining whether a child retains living-in-the-home status is the authority of the caretaker to control the child's treatment and duration of stay. Under the state's mental health code, a court order placing the child in a psychiatric facility must be issued. The court findings serve to make sure that the child needs such treatment. Such orders do not prevent the specified relative from removing the child from the facility. These orders must be differentiated from correctional commitments or sentences. A child receiving treatment in a Title XIX facility, or placed in other substitute care living arrangements by juvenile authorities as the result of a sentence or commitment by a judicial authority does not meet the definition of actually living in the home, as the caretaker no longer has significant control over the child.

(7) A child may qualify for extended living-in-the-home provisions under these conditions:

(a) the child must have been living in the home before hospitalization;

(b) the child must have been living in the home before attending boarding school or college.

C. Joint custody: A child who is in the joint custody of divorced parents who are living apart and who is actually spending equal amounts of time with both parents shall not be considered to be living with the caretaker. If the divorce decree specifies equal joint custody, but the child is actually spending more time with one parent than the other, the child would be determined to be living with the parent with whom the child spends the most time.

D. Absence from the home:

(1) A minor child may remain in the benefit group and remain eligible for benefits for up to 45 days following the date of departure or expected absence from the home. Such a child may not simultaneously be in another NMW or GA benefit group.

(2) A child shall be considered to have left the home, when the child is physically absent from the home and is under the care, control, custody, of himself, another relative or another adult, social services or correctional agency, or other agency of state, local, or tribal government.

E. Reporting departure of child from the home: Pursuant to Section 408 (a)(10)(C) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, the parent, relative, or caretaker of a minor child included in the NMW benefit group is ineligible to be included in the benefit group if the parent or relative or caretaker fails to report the absence from the home of a minor child who is a member of the benefit group. To be eligible, the adult must report the departure of the minor child by no later than five days after the adult becomes aware that the child is absent or will be absent in excess of the 45 days allowed under Subsection D of 8.102.400.15 NMAC. The adult shall remain ineligible for the number of months that the benefit group is sanctioned for non-reporting as provided for at 8.102.620.11 NMAC.

Notes

N.M. Admin. Code § 8.102.400.15

8.102.400.15 NMAC - Rp 8.102.400.15 NMAC, 7/1/2001; A, 7/17/2006; A, 11/15/2007, Adopted by New Mexico Register, Volume XXXV, Issue 12, June 25, 2024, eff. 7/1/2024