Family
Size

Requirement

A parent shall obtain & provide supporting documentation regarding the number of children & parents in the family as listed on the application for services.

Regulations/Reference

Title 5: 17761

Monitoring Review Evidence

• Family Data File

• Application for Services

• Records of Children & Parents Counted in the Family Size

Definitions

Family means the parents and the children for whom the parents are responsible who comprise the household in which the child receiving services is living.

When a child and his or her siblings are living in a family that does not include their biological or adoptive parent, “family” shall be considered the child and related siblings.

Parent means a biological parent, adoptive parent, stepparent, foster parent, caretaker relative, legal guardian, domestic partner of the parent or any other adult living with a child who has responsibility for the care & welfare of the child.

When to Determine Family Size

For full-day programs, family size is determined at the time of certification, recertification & at the voluntary request of the parent.

TIP: At certification, think of it as taking a “snapshot in time”. What is the family’s current family size?

Documentation of Family Size

According to the regulations, at least one document for ALL children counted in the family size must be on file that indicates the relationship of the child to the parent. Proof may include:

• Birth certificate

• Child custody or court order

• Adoption documents

• Foster care placement records

• School or medical records

• County welfare department records

• Other reliable documentation indicating the relationship of the child to the parent

What this might look like in a program:

A Parent Enrollment Checklist is used to request family size documentation from a parent.

The enrollment specialist verifies that the documentation indicates the relationship of the child to the parent.

NOTE regarding caregivers who DO NOT have legal guardianship:

Frequently parents find that they need someone else, often a grandparent or other family member, to care for and make decisions for their children, but they do not want to establish a formal guardianship. There are a variety of factors that can attribute to why parents and the person who has care and physical custody of a minor may not want to pursue a legal guardianship. Some of the factors may include a difficult relationship between the parents and caregiver, parents’ refusal of consent to a legal guardianship, or the caregiver may not want the hassle of applying for legal guardianship. More often it is the case that the caregiver will be taking care of the minor only temporarily.

As an alternative to a legal guardianship, caregivers can sign a Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavit. A Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavit is an official form based on California’s recognition that adults who have minors living with them are “caregivers” who often want and need to take some responsibility for the minor’s education and other care.

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