YSA heads of household

At what age do you feel YSAs living at home should be broken out from their families, and become their own head of household on church records? In the past, YSAs living with their parents were considered members of their parents' household. But how long should that continue? My 33-year-old son is living with me. Should he be a head of household, and be assigned his own ministering brethren?

I am happy to do whatever the ward council decides. Perhaps we can get further guidance on this issue from our stake leaders as they teach ward leaders about the new ministering program.

drepouille wrote:At what age do you feel YSAs living at home should be broken out from their families, and become their own head of household on church records?

My own opinion is that this is an individual matter and depends on the single adult. Once a membership record is moved out of a family for college or work in another city or some other reason, I have rarely seen it combined again, even if the member moves back in with his parents. But I do not believe there is anything wrong with doing that.

If those ministering to a family are able to relate to and help a single adult along with the rest of the family, there is no reason there could not be two heads of household at the same address served by one ministering companionship. If the bishop and elders quorum president feel the single adult needs something different, two companionships could be assigned. I think it totally depends on the needs of each person or family, and that this is an appropriate item for discussion at a quarterly ministering council meeting.

Where I live now there are YSA wards or branches, and those attending become heads of household. At age 31, however, a member is no longer a young single adult, and there are not many single adult wards in outlying areas of the Church. Just because a member turns 31, though, does not mean their membership record needs to be moved back under a parent head of household. I think priesthood leaders, parents, and the member involved should counsel together to determine what is best for each individual.

Exaltation is, after all, a one by one process.

lajackson wrote:Once a membership record is moved out of a family for college or work in another city or some other reason, I have rarely seen it combined again, even if the member moves back in with his parents.

That seems to have been the general consensus when the subject has come up in the past. I think some include going on a mission in that.

However, it does beg the question on if there shouldn't also be a age criteria, assuming the child is a normal functioning adult.

The first thing I do is check with the parents. There are many factors that could be involved and they would be the best ones to advise if their son or daughter would be best ministered to as a HOH or as a child in their home. Then I report to the bishop and if needed it is discussed in ward council. We don't have that many in our ward so it isn't a burden for us.

If children are home for a couple of months between semesters of college, I usually roll them back under their parents - in my experience they won't have visiting elders assigned that quickly anyway (probably not true for the sisters) and many scoot off to the YSA branch who pulls their records within a week or two.

I have seen many instances were grown children (and/or their entire family) move back home for periods of time. In almost all those cases, they are set up as two (or even three or four) families who happen to be living under the same roof but who often have very different ministering needs. I have experienced this myself with two children on two separate occasions and having their own household was a blessing for them.