Kinship Care Benefits Eligibility Checker
Answer two questions to see which of the three main kinship care benefit paths apply to your situation.
"Kinship care benefits" actually covers three separate programs: free Kinship Navigator help (almost everyone qualifies), TANF Child-Only cash grants (based on the child's situation, not your income), and Kinship Guardianship Assistance (only if the child was formally in foster care first). Most informal kinship caregivers qualify for the first two but not the third.
Grandfamilies content online usually treats "kinship benefits" as one thing. It's really three different programs with three different eligibility tests. Answer the questions below to see which apply to you.
Check Your Kinship Care Eligibility
✓ Likely eligible: TANF Child-Only Grant
A cash grant based on the child's needs, not your income, since only the child (not you) is counted in the assistance unit. Apply through your state TANF/welfare agency.
✓ Likely eligible: Kinship Guardianship Assistance (Kin-GAP)
Because the child was formally in foster care with you as a licensed foster parent before you became guardian, you may qualify for ongoing guardianship assistance payments through your state's Title IV-E program.
Kinship Guardianship Assistance (Kin-GAP) generally does not apply here, since it requires the child to have been formally in the foster care system with you as a licensed foster parent first. This doesn't affect your Kinship Navigator or TANF Child-Only eligibility above.
These specific kinship care programs are designed for relatives raising a child who isn't their own. If you're the child's parent, check this site's SNAP Eligibility Calculator or other general assistance tools instead.
All three programs are administered at the state level with varying rules. Contact your state's Kinship Navigator Program or child welfare agency to apply. childwelfare.gov has a state-by-state directory.
"Kinship care benefits" gets treated online as a single program, when it's really three separate ones layered on top of each other, each with its own eligibility test. The broadest and easiest to qualify for is the Kinship Navigator Program, funded through Title IV-B of the Social Security Act since Congress began appropriating money for it in 2018. Navigator programs don't pay cash directly; they help kinship caregivers identify and apply for whatever benefits they do qualify for, connect with legal help, and access support groups, and most have no income test or custody requirement at all. The second tier is the TANF Child-Only grant, the most common type of TANF case nationally: more than half of all TANF cases are child-only, meaning the child receives cash assistance but the caregiver's own income isn't counted, since only the child is part of the "assistance unit." This is what most people mean when they picture a grandparent getting a modest monthly check for raising a grandchild, and it doesn't require any formal custody transfer in many states. The third and narrowest program is Kinship Guardianship Assistance, sometimes called Kin-GAP, authorized under the optional Title IV-E Guardianship Assistance Program. This one only applies if the child was formally placed in the state foster care system, with the relative serving as a licensed foster parent, before that relative became the child's legal guardian. If a grandchild moved in with a grandparent informally, without the state ever holding legal custody, this third program generally isn't available, no matter how long the arrangement has lasted, since it exists specifically to give foster parents who become guardians financial parity with what they'd have received as licensed foster parents.
Frequently Asked Questions
What benefits are available for grandparents raising grandchildren?
Three main paths, depending on your situation: free Kinship Navigator Program services (available to almost any kinship caregiver), TANF Child-Only cash grants (for relatives raising a child who isn't their own), and Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program payments (only if the child was previously in foster care).
What is a Kinship Navigator Program?
A federally funded program, run by states or tribes, that helps kinship caregivers find and apply for benefits, connect with support groups, and access legal and financial resources. It doesn't pay cash directly, but helps you find and apply for programs that do.
What is a TANF Child-Only grant?
A cash assistance grant paid on behalf of a child being raised by a relative (most commonly a grandparent) who isn't their legal parent. It's based on the child's needs, not the caregiver's income, which is why it's called "child-only."
What is the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (Kin-GAP)?
An optional federal program (Title IV-E Guardianship Assistance) that pays relative caregivers who become the legal guardian of a child who was previously in the foster care system with them as a licensed foster parent. It generally doesn't apply if the child was never in the formal foster care system.
Do I need to become the child's legal guardian to get any help?
No. Kinship Navigator services and TANF Child-Only grants are both available to informal kinship caregivers without a formal guardianship or custody order in many states, though requirements vary. A Kinship Navigator can tell you your state's specific rule.
How is this different from foster care payments?
Standard foster care payments require the state to have legal custody of the child and the caregiver to be a licensed foster parent. TANF Child-Only and Kinship Navigator services don't require the state to hold custody at all, which is why they're more accessible for informal family arrangements.
Based on federal Kinship Navigator Program (Title IV-B), TANF Child-Only, and Kinship Guardianship Assistance (Title IV-E) program rules. Specific eligibility, payment amounts, and application requirements are set by each state and vary widely. This tool provides a general eligibility check, not an official determination. Contact your state's child welfare agency or Kinship Navigator Program to apply.