Grandparents raising grandchildren can apply for several grants and benefits, but almost none of them work like a traditional grant with a written proposal. The largest source of cash is TANF child-only assistance, where only the child’s income counts toward eligibility. Other help comes through the National Family Caregiver Support Program, Title IV-E guardianship assistance for children who came out of foster care, and Kinship Navigator programs that connect you to services. Each has its own agency and its own application.
The Programs That Actually Exist
TANF Child-Only Assistance
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families is a federal block grant run by each state under its own rules. When a grandparent raises a child, you can apply for cash assistance for the child alone. In a child-only case, only the child’s income and resources count, not yours, which is why caregivers who would otherwise earn too much still qualify. Child-only cases are also exempt from the federal work requirements and time limits that apply to parents on TANF.1ASPE. Understanding the AFDC/TANF Child-Only Caseload Payment amounts vary widely by state and household size.
National Family Caregiver Support Program
Funded under the Older Americans Act, this program sends money through state and local agencies to older relative caregivers. You must be at least 55 and the primary caregiver for a child under 18 whose biological or adoptive parents cannot or will not provide care.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 U.S. Code 3030s – Definitions Services usually include respite care, counseling, caregiver training, and help finding other resources. Your local Area Agency on Aging administers it.
Title IV-E Guardianship Assistance
If your grandchild was in foster care and placed with you for at least six consecutive months, you may qualify for ongoing kinship guardianship payments after taking legal guardianship. The child must have been removed from the parents’ home by court order or voluntary placement, and the state agency must determine that neither reunification nor adoption is appropriate.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 673 – Adoption and Guardianship Assistance Program These payments often match foster care maintenance rates, which makes them substantially larger than TANF child-only. Not every state has opted in, so check with your state child welfare agency.
Kinship Navigator Programs
Federal matching funds support state and tribal Kinship Navigator programs. A navigator doesn’t cut you a check. The job is to connect kinship caregivers to healthcare, legal aid, financial assistance, and educational support you’re already entitled to.4The Administration for Children and Families. Kinship Care If your state runs one, contact them early, because navigators often know about programs that are poorly advertised.
Who Qualifies
Proof You’re the Caregiver
Nearly every program wants proof that you are the child’s primary caregiver. What counts varies. Some require formal legal custody or guardianship. Others accept informal evidence: school enrollment records naming you as the contact, medical records in your name, or a letter from a social worker, doctor, or clergy member.4The Administration for Children and Families. Kinship Care Programs tied to foster care, like guardianship assistance, require formal placement through the child welfare agency.
Age
The National Family Caregiver Support Program requires the caregiver to be 55 or older.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 U.S. Code 3030s – Definitions TANF child-only has no age requirement for the grandparent. The child generally must be under 18, or under 19 if still in high school, depending on the state.
Income
TANF child-only is the most forgiving because only the child’s income counts, and most children have little or none. SNAP and other household-based programs do count the grandparent’s income and resources. Guardianship assistance is generally not income-tested once the agreement is in place, though the initial foster care eligibility looked at household finances.
The Child’s Situation
A grandchild with a disability may qualify for Supplemental Security Income, which uses Social Security’s child disability definition and looks at family income and resources. Some programs also prioritize children who experienced abuse or neglect, were in foster care, or have special educational needs.
Where to Start Looking
The old Benefits.gov site shut down in September 2024. Federal benefits information now lives at usa.gov, which hosts a benefit finder that asks you questions and matches you to programs.5USAGov. Find Government Benefits and Financial Help Start there for the federal picture.
Then call your local Area Agency on Aging. They run the National Family Caregiver Support Program and typically know about state and county programs that don’t appear in national databases. Many communities also have kinship support groups through churches, schools, or nonprofits that can point you to local emergency funds or one-time grants for school supplies, car seats, or utility bills.
If your state runs a Kinship Navigator program, that is your single best starting point.
Documents to Gather Before You Apply
Most application time happens before you touch the form. Have these ready:
- Full names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers for you and each grandchild
- Income from all sources, bank balances, and any property or vehicles
- Everyone living in your home and their relationship to you
- Court guardianship order, foster care placement letter, or alternative proof of caregiving like school records or a professional’s letter
- Birth certificates for each grandchild
- Recent pay stubs, Social Security benefit letters, pension statements, or your most recent tax return
- Medical records if you’re applying for disability-related help
- Government-issued photo ID for yourself
Make copies of everything before you send it. Applications that arrive complete move faster than ones that trigger follow-up requests.
How to Submit
State TANF offices accept applications online, by mail, or in person, and some states let you apply for TANF and SNAP in one visit. For the National Family Caregiver Support Program, you’ll usually contact your local Area Agency on Aging to start intake, which may be a phone or in-person assessment rather than a paper form.
Whichever method you use, get proof of submission. Save the online confirmation number, use tracked mail, and keep a copy of every page you send. Late applications are routinely rejected without review.
After You Apply
TANF applications in most states must be acted on within 30 to 45 days, with expedited processing possible in emergencies. The National Family Caregiver Support Program can work differently and may place you on a waitlist when demand outruns local funding.
A caseworker may contact you for missing documents. Respond quickly, because slow responses are one of the most common reasons applications stall. Approval comes with a written notice explaining the amount and payment method. A denial notice explains the reason, and most programs have an appeal process. The denial reason tells you whether reapplying with better documentation is worth doing.
Two Sources of Money Grandfamilies Often Miss
Claiming Your Grandchild as a Dependent
Claiming a grandchild on your federal tax return can unlock the Child Tax Credit, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and head-of-household filing status. A grandchild qualifies if the child is under 19 at year-end (or under 24 if a full-time student), lives with you more than half the year, does not provide more than half of their own support, and does not file a joint return.6IRS. Publication 501 – Dependents, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information Grandchildren are explicitly listed under the relationship test, so you don’t need legal guardianship to claim one for tax purposes. Foster care payments made under a state or local foster program are generally excluded from gross income.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 131 – Certain Foster Care Payments
Social Security Benefits on Your Record
If you receive Social Security retirement or disability benefits, your grandchild may qualify for dependent benefits on your record. The catch: the child’s biological or adoptive parents must have been deceased or disabled at the time you became entitled to benefits.8Social Security Administration. 20 CFR 404.358 – Who Is the Insured’s Grandchild or Stepgrandchild When the condition is met, the grandchild’s benefit can reach up to half of your full retirement amount. Contact your local Social Security office. There is no separate grant application.
Watch Out for Grant Scams
Grandparents raising grandchildren get targeted by scammers offering free government grants. The Federal Trade Commission is direct: the government does not contact people out of the blue to hand out grant money, and no legitimate government grant requires an upfront fee.9Federal Trade Commission. Government Grant Scams
Signs it’s a scam:
- Unsolicited call, text, email, or social media message about a grant you never applied for
- A “processing fee” or “tax” demanded upfront, especially in gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency
- Official-sounding but fake agency names like the “Federal Grants Administration”
- Pressure to act immediately so you can’t verify
- Requests for your bank account number to “deposit” the grant
If someone contacts you about a grant, hang up and verify on your own. The only comprehensive list of federal grants is at grants.gov, and it’s free to search.9Federal Trade Commission. Government Grant Scams Real programs require you to find them, not the other way around.