Use a household member role to record how a person relates to the others who share their household.
What the field is
Role in Household is an optional relationship label on a person's record. It replaced the earlier "Household Member Type" label so staff can see at a glance what the field is for. Depending on the values your organization has set up, common choices include Head, Spouse/Partner, and Child.
What it does not do
The role describes a household relationship only. It is not a client type. Choosing a role never changes a client's services, eligibility, or permissions.
When to use it
Choose a Role in household when the relationship is known and useful to your team. Leave the field blank when the relationship is unclear or none of the available choices fits. CoolFocus never requires this field to save a record, so staff are not forced to guess.
Where it shows up
The role appears on household member lists and on the person's client details. Some workflows pair the role with age to help identify dependents. The role by itself does not add someone to a household; the person still needs to be added to the household separately.
Pregnancy Center clients
Pregnancy center client records include this field too, and it stays optional there. Staff can add the role once the household relationship becomes clear instead of choosing something just to get through the form at intake.
Common mistakes to avoid
Do not use the role to indicate which services a client should receive.
Do not treat it as a substitute for client type, eligibility, or permissions.
Do not pick a value just to fill the field when the correct relationship is unknown.