Interim Caregiver

Subsidized guardianship payments can be transferred to an interim caretaker for up to 12 months in the event of the death or incapacity of the original subsidized guardian or termination of the guardianship.

Below are some examples of when interim caretaker may be an option:

• Subsidized guardian dies and did not name anyone as a prospective successor guardian for the child on their Subsidized Guardianship Agreement.
• Subsidized guardian dies and the person they named as the prospective successor guardian for the child no longer wants to or is ineligible to become the successor guardian.
• Subsidized guardian petitions the court to resign or terminate their guardianship.
  • Note: if the guardian only requests to terminate the Subsidized Guardianship Agreement, that terminates the monthly payment and child’s Foster Care Medicaid (FSTMA) coverage. It does not terminate the guardianship court order.

If there is an individual identified to act as an interim caretaker for the child, the child welfare agency must determine if that individual meets the eligibility requirements under the subsidized guardianship program:

• The child welfare agency completes background checks of the identified interim caretaker and the other residents in their home.
• The child welfare agency completes a home visit and safety assessment of the identified interim caretaker’s home to determine if it is in the best interests of the child.
• The identified interim caretaker understands if they want to receive this subsidy for more than 12 months that they are required to become licensed as a foster parent and be willing to become the legal guardian of the child or help locate a different permanency option.

If the identified interim caretaker is deemed eligible, the child welfare agency can transfer the subsidized guardianship payment to the interim caretaker.

If the interim caretaker decides they want to become the child’s legal guardian and receive subsidized guardianship payments beyond 12 months, both the child and the interim caretaker must meet the eligibility criteria that the original guardian did when initially pursuing subsidized guardianship.