Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Maine: Kinship Care, TANF, and Support

Written & Reviewed by

Analic Mata-Murray

Managing Editor

Yolanda Taylor

Senior Healthcare Editor

Last updated: April 7, 2026

Bottom Line: Maine does not have one simple monthly “grandparent benefit” for informal caregiving. In real life, most older adults in Maine need to combine child-only Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), MaineCare for the child, food help, local General Assistance, and the statewide AFFM Kinship Program. If the child is already tied to child welfare, tell the caseworker right away that you want to be considered under Maine’s relative placement preference law.

Emergency help now

• If the child is in immediate danger, call 911. If you need to report abuse or neglect to Maine child welfare, call the Office of Child and Family Services at 1-800-452-1999.
• If the child needs medical care today, bring any note from the parent, school form, or court paper you have. Maine law lets some caregiving relatives act as a surrogate for a minor’s health care.
• If you need money for food, medicine, rent, or utilities, start a combined application through My Maine Connection or call the Office for Family Independence at 1-855-797-4357 now.

Quick-help box

• Fastest cash path: Ask the Office for Family Independence to screen for a child-only TANF case and Emergency Assistance.
• Fastest kinship support: Call the statewide AFFM Kinship Program at 207-827-2331.
• If the child is in DHHS custody: Contact the child’s caseworker and A Family for ME at 1-844-893-6311 about kinship or resource-home approval.
• No computer needed: Maine also accepts applications by mail, email, fax, and in person through the DHHS district office system.
• School problem: Put your request to the superintendent in writing and keep a copy.
• Housing crisis: Apply at your town or city office for General Assistance. If you cannot reach the local office, call 1-800-442-6003.

Best first steps after a grandparent takes in a child

• Make the child safe first. If there is danger, call 911 or OCFS.
• Ask for child-only benefits right away. Start with TANF, MaineCare, and SNAP through My Maine Connection or 1-855-797-4357.
• Get school and doctor paperwork moving. If the parent is reachable, ask for school and medical releases right away. If this may last more than a short time, review power of attorney for a child and minor guardianship.
• Call Maine’s kinship support system. The AFFM Kinship Program can help you sort out benefits, school, child welfare, and family stress.
• Gather proof without waiting for perfection. Use what you have now: ID, school papers, medicine bottles, DHHS papers, or a letter from the parent. Apply even if some documents are missing.
• If DHHS is involved, say you are family immediately. Maine law gives preference to an adult relative when safe and in the child’s best interest, but you must still pass the child welfare checks and approval steps.

What this help actually looks like in Maine

Start with the right system. In Maine, grandparents raising grandchildren can land in very different tracks. An informal arrangement outside child welfare usually means child-only TANF, MaineCare, SNAP, school paperwork, and local town help. A child in DHHS custody may qualify for kinship foster-style payments and a formal case plan. A long-term situation may need guardianship. In the most recent public monthly child welfare snapshot we found, 35.7% of Maine children in DHHS custody were in kinship care on November 1, 2025, so this is not a rare issue.

Quick facts

• Best immediate takeaway: Apply for the child’s benefits now. Do not wait for a full court case.
• Major rule: Informal caregiving, guardianship, and DHHS kinship care are not the same thing in Maine.
• Realistic obstacle: Schools, doctors, and landlords may all ask for different paperwork.
• Useful Maine fact: The AFFM Kinship Program is one of the most practical statewide supports for grandparents and other kin.
• Best next step: Keep one folder with every notice, form, and phone log.

Who qualifies

Think in plain language. If a child is living with you in Maine and you are acting like the day-to-day parent, you may qualify for help even if you never expected to raise a child again.

• You may qualify for child-focused benefits if the child lives with you, even when your own retirement or disability income is too high for adult cash assistance.
• You may qualify for kinship or foster-type support only if the child is in DHHS custody or formally placed through child welfare.
• You may need a court order if the arrangement is long-term, the parent disagrees, or a school, insurer, or medical office needs stronger proof of authority.
• You may also qualify for caregiver support as an older relative caring for a minor through Maine’s aging network.

Financial help for grandparents raising grandchildren

Lead with the child’s case. In Maine, the most common money mistake is letting the case open the wrong way. If you are a grandparent, ask whether the child can be treated as a child-only case instead of an adult-included TANF case.

Best programs and options in Maine

Child-only TANF for grandparents raising grandchildren

• What it is: Maine’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program can pay a monthly cash grant for a child living with a caregiving relative. Maine publishes a separate child-only maximum benefit chart for federal fiscal year 2026.
• Who can get it or use it: Usually a grandparent or other relative caring for a child in the home. For TANF, the child generally must be under 18, or under 20 and a full-time student in secondary or similar vocational school.
• How it helps: It gives monthly cash for basics. It can also make it easier to organize other help tied to the child’s case.
• How to apply or use it: Apply through My Maine Connection, use the combined paper application, email it to Farmington.DHHS@Maine.gov, fax it to 207-778-8429, or go to a district office. Questions go to 1-855-797-4357, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• What to gather or know first: Your ID, any proof the child lives with you, the child’s Social Security number if available, school papers, any court or DHHS papers, and information about any income the child gets.

Important: These are maximum child-only grant amounts from Maine’s current chart. The actual amount can be lower if the child has countable income. If an adult child is helping you apply, consider the Authorized Representative form on the OFI forms page.

Emergency Assistance through the Office for Family Independence

• What it is: Maine’s Emergency Assistance program can help families with children under 21 in certain crises, such as eviction not caused by misuse of the property, utility shutoff, recent disaster loss, essential home-system repair, or special disability-related equipment.
• Who can get it or use it: Maine families with a child under 21 in the home who meet the program rules.
• How it helps: Payments go to vendors, not usually to you directly. Maine says payment maximums depend on the emergency category.
• How to apply or use it: Ask OFI to screen you when you apply for benefits, or use the Emergency Assistance application.
• What to gather or know first: Eviction notice, shutoff notice, repair estimate, lease, proof the child is in the home, and proof of the emergency date.

Kinship care payments and kinship navigator help in Maine

• What it is: The statewide AFFM Kinship Program is Maine’s most practical kinship-navigation support for grandparents and other relatives. It offers systems navigation, support groups, peer mentoring, a legal guide, and links to child welfare, school, behavioral health, and public benefits.
• Who can get it or use it: Grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, other relatives, and some family friends raising children in Maine.
• How it helps: It helps families sort out what kind of caregiving situation they are really in, which often prevents benefit mistakes.
• How to apply or use it: Call 207-827-2331 or use the Kinship Program page.
• What to gather or know first: Child’s age, how long the child has lived with you, whether DHHS is involved, and your biggest current problem.

Can grandparents get foster care payments?

• What it is: Yes, sometimes. But in Maine this is usually only true when the child is in DHHS custody and placed with you as kin. It is not the same as an informal family arrangement.
• Who can get it or use it: Relatives caring for a child through OCFS as an unlicensed kinship placement or a licensed resource home.
• How it helps: In a February 2025 OCFS resource-parent update, publicly listed daily board rates were $18.50 for unlicensed homes, $26.25 for Level A, $36.75 for Level B, $47.25 for Level C, $63.00 for Level D, $78.75 for Level E, and $73.50 for Medical. The child’s level of care and your approval status matter.
• How to apply or use it: If DHHS is already involved, tell the caseworker immediately that you want to be considered as family. Maine’s kinship placement law favors adult relatives when safe and appropriate. For licensing information, see the OCFS resource parent page and A Family for ME.
• What to gather or know first: ID for all adults in the home, home layout and sleeping plan, names of household members, and any prior child welfare or criminal history that will show up on checks.

Guardianship assistance for older caregivers

• What it is: Maine has two different guardianship issues: a court order giving you legal authority over the child, and a separate Guardianship Subsidy Program for certain permanency guardianship child welfare cases.
• Who can get it or use it: Any caregiver may explore a minor guardianship case in District Court or Probate Court. The subsidy is only for a child placed in permanency guardianship, or similar tribal status, when DHHS finds the child would not be placed without the subsidy.
• How it helps: A court guardianship can solve school and medical authority problems. The subsidy amount can vary by the guardian’s resources, the child’s needs, and other resources. Under the guardianship subsidy statute, up to $2,000 per child may be reimbursed for legal and travel costs tied to the permanency guardianship.
• How to apply or use it: For court guardianship, start with the Judicial Branch guardianship page. For subsidy cases, talk with DHHS before the guardianship order because the statute says a written agreement with the department generally must come first.
• What to gather or know first: Parent contact information, why the child cannot safely stay with the parent, any child welfare papers, and any proof of the child’s special needs or expenses.

Medicaid and health insurance for grandchildren in a grandparent’s care

• What it is: MaineCare offers free or low-cost health coverage for children and young adults under 21. The current MaineCare children page says a child may qualify in a family earning about $59,000 for a family of two or $90,000 for a family of four.
• Who can get it or use it: Children and young adults under 21 who meet income or disability rules. Children under 19 with serious health conditions may also qualify for Katie Beckett.
• How it helps: MaineCare covers regular care and, through VitalCare for Kids, can also cover medically necessary services or equipment not normally covered.
• How to apply or use it: Apply through My Maine Connection or OFI. If you already have a case but need card or coverage help, call MaineCare Member Services at 1-800-977-6740.
• What to gather or know first: Child’s birth date, Social Security number if available, current address, insurance cards, and medical records if you are asking about disability-based coverage.

Food help and child benefits for kinship families

• What it is: Maine’s Food Supplement program is SNAP. Maine also runs SUN Bucks, a summer grocery benefit for eligible school-age children.
• Who can get it or use it: The household may qualify for SNAP, and many children qualify for SUN Bucks based on TANF, SNAP, certain MaineCare cases, foster status, or school meal certification routes.
• How it helps: The current OFI applications page says SUN Bucks is typically $120 per eligible child. If your child is not automatically enrolled and you have not received a letter by June 15, Maine says to apply by August 15.
• How to apply or use it: Use My Maine Connection or call 1-855-797-4357. If you need to use your EBT card outside Maine, New Hampshire, or Vermont, call OFI first because Maine’s EBT out-of-state restriction notice remains in place.
• What to gather or know first: Income, rent, utilities, who buys and cooks food together, and any school letters about meals or SUN Bucks.

Housing help for seniors raising grandchildren

• What it is: Maine does not have a special statewide housing voucher just for grandparents raising grandchildren. The closest real options are General Assistance, Emergency Assistance, and MaineHousing or local housing authority programs.
• Who can get it or use it: General Assistance is local and needs-based. MaineHousing waitlists and property rules vary by area and landlord or housing authority.
• How it helps: General Assistance may help with rent, room rent, temporary housing, fuel, utilities, food, supplies, and some medical-related basics. MaineHousing can help with referrals about subsidized apartments and Section 8 or Housing Choice Voucher questions.
• How to apply or use it: Apply at your local municipal office for General Assistance. If you cannot reach the local office or have concerns, call the state hotline at 1-800-442-6003. For MaineHousing, call 1-800-452-4668.
• What to gather or know first: Lease, rent balance, shutoff notice, proof the child lives with you, and any subsidy or voucher papers. If you live in senior or subsidized housing, report the household change right away.

Child care help for working grandparents

• What it is: Maine’s Child Care Affordability Program can help pay for child care while you work, go to school, or attend job training.
• Who can get it or use it: Eligible caregivers statewide. Maine says approved providers may include relatives over age 18.
• How it helps: Maine’s current CCAP page says family copayments run from 1% to 10% of gross weekly income, and families under 30% of Maine median income do not have a copay.
• How to apply or use it: Call 1-877-680-5866 or 207-624-7999, or use the CCAP page.
• What to gather or know first: Work or school schedule, child care need, and the provider’s information.

Support groups and respite help for older caregivers

• What it is: Maine offers support through the AFFM Kinship Program, Care Partner Supports through the aging network, and Help Me Grow Maine for younger children.
• Who can get it or use it: Kinship families statewide, and older relatives who are primary caregivers for a minor or an adult with a disability.
• How it helps: Maine’s aging network offers information, counseling, and respite-related support. Help Me Grow is a free system-navigation service for children from birth to age 8 and will still try to connect older children to resources when it can.
• How to apply or use it: Call AFFM at 207-827-2331. Call Help Me Grow at 211, option 5 or 1-833-714-7969. Use the Care Partner Supports page to find your Area Agency on Aging.
• What to gather or know first: Your county, child’s age, any disability or behavioral health needs, and what kind of break or support you actually need.

Legal custody vs kinship care vs informal caregiving

Do not treat these as the same. Many problems in Maine happen because a grandparent thinks “the child lives with me” automatically means “I have full legal authority.” It does not.

If a parent can still cooperate, the Maine power of attorney for a child can be a useful bridge. But the Pine Tree Legal Assistance guide for parents and caregivers warns that some providers may not accept it, and it does not replace a court order in every setting.

School enrollment and medical consent issues

Do not accept a verbal no. In Maine, school and medical access often turns on paperwork, but the answer is not always “come back after you get guardianship.”

School enrollment

If a child is living with you in a different district, the current Pine Tree Legal Assistance Maine guide explains that the adult caring for the child should write the superintendent and ask for enrollment in the new district, or ask that the child be allowed to stay in the old district if that is better. The guide says the superintendent has 10 days to decide and must give a written denial with appeal rights if the answer is no. The Maine Department of Education also has a school enrollment page and general phone line at 207-624-6600, with language assistance at 207-624-6629.

If the child is homeless or housing is unstable, Maine’s McKinney-Vento guidance says enrollment should be immediate even when the family does not yet have the usual records.

Medical consent

Maine’s surrogate consent law for minors lets an adult relative by blood, marriage, or adoption who lives with the child and provides ongoing parental-type care give consent for the child’s health care after making a reasonable good-faith effort to inform the parent or legal guardian. The law does not allow a surrogate to withhold life-sustaining treatment or deny life-saving, medically necessary treatment. In real life, bring every paper you have anyway: your ID, proof the child lives with you, any parent note, power of attorney, school form, insurance card, or DHHS paper.

Medicaid and health insurance for grandchildren in a grandparent’s care

Apply even if you think you earn too much. Maine expanded children’s coverage, and the current MaineCare children page uses much higher income examples than many grandparents expect. Maine also offers Katie Beckett for some children under 19 with serious health conditions, and a Full Cost Purchase Option for children under 19 who lose MaineCare because household income went up.

If the child has special needs, ask about VitalCare for Kids, Maine’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment coverage. It can pay for medically necessary services or equipment that ordinary coverage might not.

Food help and child benefits for kinship families

Open the food case early. Food costs rise fast when a child moves in, and Maine’s Food Supplement program can often start before the family finishes sorting out custody questions. If the child is school-age, check SUN Bucks each summer. If the child’s parent was already getting benefits that included the child, report the household change right away so the case can be corrected.

Housing help for seniors raising grandchildren

Use local Maine systems, not a national checklist. Housing help in Maine is local and layered. The first stop for an urgent rent or utility problem is often your town or city’s General Assistance office, not a statewide kinship office. For longer-term housing search help, use MaineHousing and local housing authorities.

If you already live in subsidized or senior housing, report that the child moved in as soon as possible. Household-size changes can affect rent, voucher status, occupancy rules, or who is listed as head of household. The Pine Tree Legal Assistance caregiver guide explains why waiting too long can create lease trouble.

What documents grandparents need

Apply first, then keep building the file. Missing papers slow cases, but they should not stop you from starting.

• ☐ Your photo ID
• ☐ Child’s birth certificate, if available, or any paper showing your relationship
• ☐ Child’s Social Security number, if available
• ☐ Court orders, DHHS custody papers, or police reports, if any
• ☐ Parent note, school release, medical release, or power of attorney for a child, if you have one
• ☐ Proof the child lives with you, such as school mail, a landlord letter, or shelter paperwork
• ☐ Rent, mortgage, utility, shutoff, or eviction papers
• ☐ Medicine list, doctor names, insurance card, and vaccine or school health records
• ☐ Proof of any income the child receives, such as child support or Social Security
• ☐ If you need a Maine birth record, use the Maine CDC vital records request page

Support groups and respite help for older caregivers

Do not try to solve this alone. Maine’s most useful support often comes from people who already know kinship families. The AFFM Kinship Program offers support groups, peer mentoring, a legal guide, and practical referrals. Maine’s Care Partner Supports page explains that the five Area Agencies on Aging administer programs that help older relatives who are primary caregivers for minors or adults with disabilities.

How grandparents can apply for benefits in this state

• Start one Maine application first. Use My Maine Connection or the combined paper application for MaineCare, SNAP, and TANF.
• Ask for the right case type. Say clearly: “I am the grandparent caring for this child. Please screen this as a child-only TANF case if that fits.”
• Use non-online options if needed. Maine accepts the application by email to Farmington.DHHS@Maine.gov, fax to 207-778-8429, mail to OFI at 114 Corn Shop Lane, Farmington, ME 04938, or in person at a district office.
• Call the statewide eligibility line. For benefits questions, use 1-855-797-4357.
• Open the local crisis path too. If you need same-week help with rent, heat, or basic needs, apply with your town or city for General Assistance.
• If DHHS is involved with the child, work both tracks. Stay in touch with the child’s caseworker and contact A Family for ME about resource-home approval.
• If you are helping your parent apply, use paperwork that lets you talk. The Authorized Representative form can help an adult child speak with OFI for a senior caregiver.
• Keep copies and dates. Write down who you spoke with, when, and what they said.

Reality checks

• Case type mistakes happen. A grandparent can accidentally get treated like a parent applicant instead of a caretaker relative. If the numbers do not make sense, ask OFI to explain exactly who is in the filing unit.

• Informal care does not usually unlock foster payments. If DHHS is not involved, assume you need child-only benefits and legal paperwork, not foster reimbursements.

• Schools and doctors may want different proof. Even though Maine has surrogate-consent rules and school-enrollment paths, local staff may still ask for more documents. Bring more than one kind of proof.

• Local variation matters. General Assistance is run by each municipality. School decisions are made by local districts. Housing waitlists vary by landlord, property, or housing authority.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Waiting for guardianship before applying for the child’s TANF, MaineCare, or SNAP
• Assuming “kinship care” automatically means foster care pay
• Letting a school or agency deny you only by phone without a written notice
• Failing to tell the landlord, housing authority, or subsidy program that a child moved in
• Finishing a permanency guardianship without asking first about Maine’s guardianship subsidy program
• Throwing away envelopes or missing deadlines on notices

Best options by need

• Need cash this month: Child-only TANF, Emergency Assistance, local General Assistance
• Need legal authority: Parent-signed forms now, then court guardianship if the arrangement will last
• Need support dealing with agencies: AFFM Kinship Program
• Need health coverage: MaineCare, Katie Beckett, VitalCare for Kids
• Need food help: SNAP, SUN Bucks, school meal certification routes
• Need child care so you can work: Child Care Affordability Program
• Need respite or family support: AFFM, Area Agencies on Aging, Help Me Grow

What to do if denied, delayed, or blocked

• Ask for the reason in writing. Whether it is OFI, a school district, or a local office, get a written decision if you can.
• Read the notice fast. Benefit denial notices usually explain hearing or review rights. Keep the envelope and the date.
• Call the right office again with a focused question. For OFI benefits, call 1-855-797-4357. For MaineCare card or member issues, call 1-800-977-6740. For local General Assistance problems, call 1-800-442-6003.
• For school enrollment denials, ask for the written denial and appeal rights. The Maine caregiver school guide says the denial must explain the right to appeal to the Commissioner of Education.
• If the child welfare side is stalled, go up one level. Ask for the caseworker’s supervisor. Then call AFFM for help getting the right questions in front of DHHS.
• Get legal help when authority is the real problem. Use Pine Tree Legal Assistance or Legal Services for Maine Elders.

Plan B / backup options

• Call 211 Maine. It is a fast way to find local food, transportation, counseling, clothing, and emergency help.
• Use Help Me Grow for younger children. For children from birth to age 8, call 211, option 5 or 1-833-714-7969.
• Ask the school and doctor for their own caregiver forms. This can buy time while you work on guardianship or other court steps.
• If one program says no, ask if the child can still qualify alone. That question matters a lot in grandparent-led households.

Local resources

• Office for Family Independence: Apply through My Maine Connection, call 1-855-797-4357, or use the district office finder.
• AFFM Kinship Program: Statewide kinship support, 207-827-2331.
• A Family for ME: Resource-home and foster/adoptive licensing information, 1-844-893-6311.
• Maine Judicial Branch: Minor guardianship information.
• Pine Tree Legal Assistance: Maine caregiver guide and power of attorney for a child guide.
• Legal Services for Maine Elders: Legal help for Mainers age 60 and older.
• MaineHousing: Housing contacts and rental information, 1-800-452-4668.
• General Assistance: Official Maine General Assistance page, with state hotline 1-800-442-6003 if the local office cannot be reached.
• Help Me Grow Maine: Family support and referral, 211 option 5 or 1-833-714-7969.

Diverse communities

Seniors with Disabilities

If you are a senior caregiver with your own disability, ask for accommodations. Maine DHHS says it provides qualified interpreters and auxiliary aids at no cost. If the child in your care has a disability, review MaineCare children’s coverage, Katie Beckett, and Care Partner Supports.

Immigrant and Refugee Seniors

Maine DHHS says interpreter help is free through its language access policy. For school questions, the Pine Tree Legal Assistance Maine caregiver guide explains that children in Maine have a right to public education regardless of immigration status.

Tribal-specific resources

If the child is part of a tribal family, tell DHHS and your lawyer right away. Maine’s guardianship subsidy law covers a child placed in a permanency guardianship or similar status by a Native American tribe, and tribal status can affect notice, placement, and permanency rules.

Rural seniors with limited access

Maine’s phone-based options matter in rural areas. Use 1-855-797-4357 for OFI, 211 for local help, and the district office finder for walk-in locations. If internet service is unreliable, use mail, fax, or in-person filing instead of waiting on the portal.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get child-only TANF in Maine if I live on Social Security or retirement income?

Often, yes. The point of a child-only TANF case is that the case is built around the child, not around you as a parent applicant. But OFI still looks at who lives in the home and any income the child receives. Ask the worker to explain exactly who is in the filing unit and make sure the case is being screened as child-only if that fits your situation.

Can I get foster care payments if my grandchild just moved in with me and DHHS is not involved?

Usually no. In Maine, foster or resource-home board payments generally go with a child welfare case and a placement through DHHS. If the child moved in through a private family arrangement, start with child-only TANF, MaineCare, SNAP, and legal paperwork. If DHHS becomes involved, ask at once about kinship placement status and payment eligibility.

Does Maine have a kinship navigator?

Maine’s closest statewide kinship-navigation support is the AFFM Kinship Program. It is practical, Maine-focused, and built for grandparents and other relatives trying to sort out benefits, school issues, child welfare questions, legal guides, support groups, and family stress. Calling early can save a lot of time and confusion.

Can I enroll my grandchild in school in Maine without guardianship?

Sometimes, yes. The current Maine caregiver school guide from Pine Tree Legal Assistance explains that the adult caring for the child can write the superintendent and ask for enrollment in the caregiver’s district, or ask that the child stay in the old district if that is in the child’s best interest. The guide says the superintendent has 10 days to decide and must give a written denial with appeal rights if the answer is no.

Can I take my grandchild to the doctor without custody papers?

Maine law allows some caregiving relatives to act as a surrogate for a minor’s health care after making a good-faith effort to notify the parent or legal guardian. That said, offices still often ask for extra proof. Bring your ID, proof the child lives with you, any note from the parent, any school or medical release, and any court or DHHS paper you have.

Does Maine have a guardianship subsidy for grandparents?

Yes, but it is not a general grandparent benefit. Maine’s Guardianship Subsidy Program is for certain permanency guardianship child welfare cases. The statute says the subsidy depends on the child’s needs, the guardian’s resources, and other resources, and a written agreement with DHHS generally must come before the guardianship order. If DHHS is involved, ask about this before you finalize guardianship.

What should I do first if rent or lights are about to be shut off?

Use both the local and state paths. Apply at your municipal office for General Assistance and ask OFI about Emergency Assistance. Keep the shutoff or eviction notice. If you cannot reach the local General Assistance office, call the state hotline at 1-800-442-6003.

I am helping my mother apply. Can I talk to DHHS for her?

Usually yes, but do it the right way. The OFI forms page includes an Authorized Representative form. The easiest method is often to sit with your parent during the call to 1-855-797-4357, then complete any extra authorization the worker requests so you can follow up later.

Resumen en español

En Maine, no existe un solo cheque estatal para abuelos que están criando a sus nietos de manera informal. La ruta más útil suele ser pedir child-only TANF, MaineCare para el niño, SNAP y apoyo del AFFM Kinship Program. Si el niño ya está en un caso de DHHS, debe decirle al trabajador social inmediatamente que usted es familiar y quiere ser considerado como hogar de parentesco.

Si el arreglo va a durar más tiempo, revise la guardianship de un menor y también la diferencia entre cuidado informal y cuidado formal. Para problemas de escuela, use la guía de Pine Tree Legal Assistance y haga la solicitud por escrito al superintendente. Para crisis de renta o servicios, solicite General Assistance en su municipio y pregunte también por Emergency Assistance. Si necesita ayuda en su idioma, Maine DHHS ofrece servicios de interpretación sin costo.

About This Guide

This guide uses official federal, state, and other high-trust nonprofit and community sources mentioned in the article.

• Editorial note: This guide is produced based on our Editorial Standards using official and other high-trust sources, regularly updated and monitored, but not affiliated with any government agency and not a substitute for official agency guidance. Individual eligibility outcomes cannot be guaranteed.
• Verification: Last verified April 7, 2026, next review August 2026.
• Corrections: Please note that despite our careful verification process, errors may still occur. Email info@grantsforseniors.org with corrections and we respond within 72 hours.
• Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not legal, financial, medical, tax, disability-rights, immigration, or government-agency advice. Program rules, policies, deadlines, and availability can change. Always confirm current details directly with the official program, court, school district, landlord, or agency before you act.