The short answer
Kinship care means raising a relative's child, most often a grandchild, niece or nephew. Relatives can usually get help even without legal custody. The main sources are a child-only cash grant from the state's TANF program, which in many states counts only the child's income, health coverage for the child through Medicaid or CHIP, SNAP, WIC and child care help, and tax benefits such as the Child Tax Credit and head of household status. Relatives who become licensed foster parents can receive foster care payments, which are usually higher than child-only grants. In some states, relatives who take legal guardianship may receive guardianship assistance payments, but the Title IV-E program generally requires an agreement before the guardianship begins. Relatives 55 and older who are the primary caregiver of a child under 18 can use the National Family Caregiver Support Program for counseling, respite and other services. Kinship navigator programs help families find these supports.
The first decision: how formal to be
Families take in a relative's child in three ways. Informally, with no court involvement, which is the most common. Through a legal arrangement such as custody or guardianship, which gives you authority to make decisions. Or through the child welfare system, as a licensed foster parent. The benefits that follow differ in each, and the choice is not always yours to make, but it helps to know what each opens.
An informal arrangement is enough for several programs: the child can usually be enrolled in health coverage and school, and the family can apply for cash help and food assistance. Many states also give relatives a caregiver authorization form that lets them consent to medical care and enroll a child in school without a court order. Ask the child's school or your state's child welfare agency for the form. Legal custody or guardianship gives more authority, and in some states it unlocks payments. A foster care license opens the largest payments, along with training and ongoing oversight.
Money and coverage you can apply for
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
| Program | What it gives | Whose income counts |
|---|---|---|
| Child-only TANF | A monthly cash grant for the child | Often only the child's, though states differ |
| Medicaid or CHIP | Health coverage for the child | Usually the child's, in many states |
| SNAP | Monthly food benefits | The household that buys and prepares food together |
| WIC | Food and nutrition help for a child under 5 | The household, with automatic eligibility through SNAP, Medicaid or TANF |
| Child care help | A subsidy for child care while you work | Set by the state, and sometimes only the child's income |
| Foster care payments | A monthly payment for a licensed relative | Not income-tested |
| Guardianship assistance | A monthly payment after legal guardianship, where offered | Set by the state |
Whose income counts is the question that matters most, and it varies by state and by program. When the caregiver is not included in the grant, many states look only at the child's income, which can make the child eligible even when the caregiver's income is higher. Ask each program specifically whether it treats the child as a separate unit.
Our guides to TANF, SNAP, WIC, child care assistance and Medicare and Medicaid explain the basic rules, and the notes below cover what changes for kinship families.
The child-only TANF grant
In a child-only case, the child receives cash assistance and the adult caregiver is not part of the grant. Most of these cases involve a child being cared for by someone other than a parent, often a grandparent. States define which relatives qualify, and an informal caregiver can generally apply. The grant is usually modest and is typically less than a foster care payment, so it is worth asking whether a licensed arrangement is possible if you are taking on long-term care.
States may ask you to cooperate in pursuing child support from the child's parents, and there are exceptions when doing so could put you or the child at risk. Our guide to child support services explains the process. Because child-only amounts and rules vary widely, ask the state TANF office what it pays for one child and whether your income affects it.
Services, not just cash
Two programs offer help beyond money. Kinship navigator programs, which states run with federal support, help relatives find and use benefits. They typically offer information and referrals for parenting and education programs, child care and respite, legal help, and medical, dental and mental health services. Availability depends on your state, so ask your local child welfare agency or the Area Agency on Aging.
The National Family Caregiver Support Program serves older relatives who are raising children. Relatives 55 and older, who are not the child's parent, who live with a child under 18 and are the child's primary caregiver can use counseling, support groups, training and respite services through their Area Agency on Aging. It is a service program, not a cash program, and states decide how much to offer.
Food, school and early learning
A child who receives TANF or lives in a household that receives SNAP is generally eligible for free school meals without a separate application, and other children qualify based on household income. A child under five may qualify for WIC and, in some areas, for Head Start or Early Head Start, which offer early learning and family support. Our guides to school meals and Head Start explain how to apply.
If you work, time off to care for a child you are raising can be covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act, which reaches people who act as a child's parent even without legal custody. Our guide to FMLA explains who is covered.
If the child has a disability
A child with a serious disability may qualify for Supplemental Security Income. For children, the agency counts the income and resources of a parent who lives with the child, but it does not count a grandparent's, aunt's or other relative's, so a child who lives with a relative can qualify when the same child would not qualify living with a working parent. Our guide to SSI explains the limits and the application.
Legal choices and what they change
Informal care costs nothing and keeps the door open to a parent's return, but it does not give you legal authority and limits some payments. Custody or guardianship through a court gives you the authority to make decisions and, in some states, access to payments. Foster care licensing brings monthly payments and oversight.
One federal option requires planning. The Guardianship Assistance Program, under Title IV-E, pays relatives who become legal guardians of children they previously cared for as licensed foster parents, and the payments must follow a written agreement signed before the guardianship is made final. If you are working with a child welfare agency, ask about it before you finalize anything. A legal aid office or a lawyer who handles family law can explain the options in your state, and many offer free help to grandparents.
Social Security and taxes
Children can receive Social Security benefits through a parent's record when the parent is deceased or receives retirement or disability benefits, and in some cases through a grandparent's record. The caregiver typically receives the money as a representative payee. Our guides to Social Security benefits for children and to representative payees explain how it works.
On your tax return, a grandchild or other relative who lived with you for more than half the year can be your qualifying child, which can bring the Child Tax Credit, the Earned Income Tax Credit and head of household status if you are unmarried. Our guide to who counts as a dependent walks through the tests.
Example (hypothetical): a grandmother and a seven-year-old
A 63-year-old grandmother with a modest Social Security check takes in her seven-year-old grandson when his mother cannot care for him. She applies for Medicaid for him, and he is covered as a household of one. She applies for child-only TANF, and the state looks at his income, which is none. She adds him to her SNAP case and claims him on her return as a qualifying child. A kinship navigator helps her fill in the school's caregiver form, and she joins a support group through the Area Agency on Aging. None of this required a court order.
Where to start
Call 211 and ask for kinship or relative caregiver help, and contact your local Area Agency on Aging, which can connect you to the caregiver program and often knows the navigator. Your state's TANF office and its child welfare agency are the places to ask about cash help and licensing. Legal aid offices can help with custody and guardianship. If you are raising a child because of a parent's death or disability, contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 about the child's benefits.
Keep a folder from the first day: the date the child came to live with you, school and medical records that show your address, any note or message from the parents about the arrangement, and receipts for what you spend on the child. The same records prove residency for benefit applications and tax returns, and they matter if you later need to ask a court for custody. Many states also publish fact sheets for grandfamilies and kinship caregivers, and a kinship navigator or legal aid office can point you to the one for your state.
Questions from relatives raising children
Do I need legal custody to get help?
Not for several programs. Relatives can usually apply for the child's health coverage, child-only TANF and food assistance without a court order, though some payments and decisions do require legal status.
Will applying for the child affect my own benefits?
A child-only case generally leaves your income out of the grant, but SNAP counts people who buy and prepare food together as one household. Ask about each program before you apply.
Can I get paid as a foster parent if the child is my grandchild?
Yes, if you are licensed by your state and the child is placed with you through the child welfare system. The process includes a home study and training, and payments are usually higher than child-only TANF.
What varies by state
Kinship programs, grant amounts and licensing rules vary a great deal by state, and the agencies decide each case. This is general information and not legal advice. A family law attorney or legal aid office can explain your options for custody, guardianship and payments.
Official sources
In the first month
Get the caregiver authorization form for school and medical care, apply for the child's health coverage and ask the TANF and SNAP offices how they treat a child-only household. Then call 211 or your Area Agency on Aging and ask whether a kinship navigator is available near you.
