Kansas Family Medical Assistance
Manual (KFMAM)
Eligibility Policy - 12/18/2025
02140
2141 Temporary Absence and Foster Care - Children in foster care are considered temporarily absent from their original/family household as long as they are expected to return. For eligibility purposes, the assumption is always that the child will be reintegrated with their family (which is expected to occur within six months), unless formally expressed otherwise or documented by the Department of Children and Families (DCF). This means that when a child is reported out of the home due to entering foster care, they are still considered part of the household size as temporarily absent.
However, when an adult is applying for CTM and the only qualifying child (or children) is absent due to being in foster care, a 180-day timeframe is relied upon to determine if the adult applicant qualifies as a caretaker of the absent child. If at the time of application, the child has been in foster care 180 consecutive days or less, it is assumed the child will return home, and the adult may be considered a caretaker for eligibility purposes. If at the time of application, the child has been in foster care for more than 180 consecutive days, the absence will be considered permanent, and the adult will not be considered a caretaker for processing purposes.