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

Last updated: April 7, 2026

Bottom Line: Pennsylvania does not have one simple statewide kinship check for every grandparent raising a grandchild outside foster care. In most real-life cases, the fastest help comes from child-only Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medical Assistance or CHIP, SNAP, and the Pennsylvania Caregiver Support Program for caregivers age 55 and older.

Pennsylvania is also more county-based than many seniors expect. The state says child welfare is administered through 67 county children and youth agencies under state supervision, so kinship foster care, local practice, and how quickly cases move can look very different from one county to the next.

Emergency help now

• If the child is unsafe right now: Call 911 or ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313.
• If the child just moved in: Call PA KinConnector at 1-866-546-2111 to sort out whether this is informal kinship care, a county placement, or a custody problem.
• If you need money, food, or health coverage: Start a benefits application today through COMPASS, by phone at 1-866-550-4355, or through your County Assistance Office (CAO).

Quick help for Pennsylvania grandparents

• Fastest cash help: Ask your CAO for a child-only TANF case, not a full-family case, if you only want help for the child.
• Fastest kinship guidance: Call PA KinConnector at 1-866-546-2111.
• Fastest senior caregiver help: Call your local Area Agency on Aging about the Caregiver Support Program.
• Fastest legal help for adults age 60+: Call the PA Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Legal Line at 1-877-727-7529.
• Fastest status check: Use Pennsylvania’s application tracker. The state says most applications are reviewed within 30 days after assignment to a caseworker.

What this help actually looks like in Pennsylvania

Do this first: Figure out which lane you are in. In Pennsylvania, your options depend heavily on whether the child came to you informally, by a court custody order, or through a county children and youth placement.

That matters because Pennsylvania does not offer a broad monthly kinship payment for every informal grandparent caregiver. The real choices are smaller but real: child-only TANF, older relative caregiver support through Aging, regular child benefits like SNAP and CHIP, and county foster or permanency payments only if the child is in the formal child welfare system.

Arrangement	What it usually means in Pennsylvania	Most likely help	Biggest limit
Informal caregiving	The child lives with you, but there is no court order and no county foster placement.	Child-only TANF, SNAP, Medical Assistance or CHIP, school enrollment under Section 1302, Caregiver Support Program if you are 55+	No automatic foster care payment
Court custody or guardianship	You have a court order giving you legal authority.	Easier school and medical decision-making, benefits access, possible child support action	Still no automatic foster rate just because you have custody
Formal kinship foster care	The child is placed through county Children and Youth and you become an approved kinship or resource home.	Foster care maintenance payments, caseworker help, services, possible permanency path	County approval rules and timing vary
Permanent Legal Custodianship (PLC)	A permanency option for a child already in county custody and substitute care.	Possible negotiated monthly subsidy, Medicaid rules, SWAN support, up to $2,000 in nonrecurring legal-custody expenses in qualifying cases	Usually not available if the child never entered foster care

Quick facts

• Best immediate takeaway: If you suddenly took in a grandchild, apply for child-only TANF, SNAP, and health coverage right away.
• Major rule: In Pennsylvania, informal caregiving is not the same as foster care.
• Realistic obstacle: Schools, clinics, and agencies often ask for custody papers even when other Pennsylvania options exist.
• Useful fact: PA KinConnector is statewide, and the PA legal line for grandparents raising grandchildren is for older adults age 60 and up.
• Best next step: Call 1-866-546-2111 and your CAO the same day.

Who qualifies in plain language

You may qualify for help in Pennsylvania if a child is living with you and you are the one handling food, shelter, school, and daily care. You do not always need a formal custody order to start asking for help, but the type of help changes based on your legal status.

Common situations that can qualify for at least some help: the child’s parent died, is missing, is incarcerated, is dealing with substance use or mental illness, is medically unable to care for the child, or the child came to live with you during a family crisis.

Very important: If you are only applying for the child, that is different from asking Pennsylvania to support your whole household. A true child-only case is often the cleanest starting point for grandparents.

Financial help for grandparents raising grandchildren

Start here: Ask your CAO whether the child should be opened on a child-only grant and whether you should also file for SNAP and Medical Assistance at the same time.

Child-only TANF for grandparents raising grandchildren

• What it is: Pennsylvania cash assistance for a child living with a relative caregiver. The state’s TANF rules specifically include dependent children and other relatives who live with them and care for them.
• Who can get it or use it: A dependent child who lives with you and needs support because a parent died, is absent, is incapacitated, or has no or low income. In a true child-only case, Pennsylvania policy says the specified relative is not required to be in the TANF budget group, and a child-only budget group does not have the 60-month limit.
• How it helps: It gives a small monthly cash grant on an EBT card. Pennsylvania also says families on cash assistance can still receive a child support pass-through of up to $100 a month for one child or $200 for two or more children when support is paid timely.
• How to apply or use it: Apply through COMPASS, by phone at 1-866-550-4355, or at your CAO. Use Track My Benefits to watch for missing proofs and appointments.
• What to gather or know first: Bring ID, the child’s name and date of birth, Social Security number if available, proof the child lives with you, any school or medical records, and any court or placement papers. If you only want help for the child, say that clearly.

How much is child-only TANF in Pennsylvania? Pennsylvania still uses county groups for the Family Size Allowance. These figures are the state’s official county-group allowance chart used for TANF-related cash policy.

County group	1 child	2 children	3 children	Counties
Group 1	$215	$330	$421	Bucks, Chester, Lancaster, Montgomery, Pike
Group 2	$205	$316	$403	Adams, Allegheny, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Butler, Centre, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Lackawanna, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Monroe, Montour, Northampton, Philadelphia, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Union, Warren, Wayne, Westmoreland, Wyoming, York
Group 3	$195	$305	$393	Beaver, Cameron, Carbon, Clinton, Elk, Franklin, Indiana, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Perry, Potter, Snyder, Tioga, Venango, Washington
Group 4	$174	$279	$365	Armstrong, Bedford, Cambria, Clarion, Clearfield, Fayette, Forest, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Jefferson, Juniata, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Somerset

One more warning: Pennsylvania still ties TANF to child support cooperation unless you have good cause. If seeking support would put you or the child at risk, tell the CAO immediately and ask about the state’s good-cause rules for TANF and child support.

Pennsylvania Caregiver Support Program

• What it is: A Pennsylvania aging program that gives care management, respite help, benefits counseling, caregiver training, and reimbursement for some caregiving costs.
• Who can get it or use it: The state says a grandparent or older relative caregiver category is open to people age 55 and older who are not the child’s biological parent, are related by blood, marriage, or adoption, and either have legal guardianship or are raising the child informally in the same home.
• How it helps: There is no separate financial-eligibility test just to apply. Reimbursement is based on the care receiver household income, up to 380% of the federal poverty level. The current state maximums include up to $600 per month in reimbursement and up to $5,000 lifetime for home modifications or assistive devices.
• How to apply or use it: Contact your local Area Agency on Aging. The program is administered locally, and each approved caregiver gets a care manager.
• What to gather or know first: Have proof of age, address, the child’s residence with you, and income information for the child’s household. This program is one of the most overlooked Pennsylvania supports for older caregivers.

Kinship care payments and kinship navigator help in this state

Start with this call: Use PA KinConnector if you are not sure whether you need benefits help, school help, legal help, or county Children and Youth help.

PA KinConnector

• What it is: Pennsylvania’s kinship navigator program. The state describes it as an information, referral, and education program for kinship caregivers across all 67 counties.
• Who can get it or use it: Grandparents, other relatives, and even non-relative kin like close family friends who are raising children.
• How it helps: It helps with financial assistance, school questions, support groups, legal referrals, and county-by-county resource navigation. The live KinConnector site also shows a bilingual navigator for Latino and Spanish-speaking families.
• How to apply or use it: Call 1-866-546-2111 or use the website. The current KinConnector site lists helpline hours as Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• What to gather or know first: Write down your county, the child’s age, whether there is a court order, and what you need most right now. If you see older state pages with different hours, trust the live KinConnector site first.

Can grandparents get foster care payments?

• What it is: Foster care maintenance payments are for children who are in the formal child welfare system, not for every informal family arrangement.
• Who can get it or use it: Usually only relatives or kin who take a child through a county Children and Youth placement and meet county approval as a kinship or resource foster home.
• How it helps: A formal placement can open the door to foster payments, a caseworker, and later permanency options. Pennsylvania also recognizes formal kinship care as a permanency path for some families in the foster system.
• How to apply or use it: Contact your county Children and Youth agency right away and ask whether the child is, or should be, formally placed with you. Use the official county Children and Youth directory.
• What to gather or know first: If the county wants to assess you as a foster or kinship home, every adult in the home may need clearances. If you lived outside Pennsylvania in the last five years, the state says prospective foster parents and other adults in the home must get child abuse clearances from those states.

Guardianship assistance for older caregivers

Do this before paying filing fees: Call the PA Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Legal Line at 1-877-727-7529 if you are age 60 or older. Pennsylvania does not have a single statewide guardianship cash program for informal grandparent caregivers, so it is important to pick the right legal path before you file anything.

In Pennsylvania, families often use the word “guardianship” loosely, but the real options may be custody, a temporary medical or school authorization, or Permanent Legal Custodianship (PLC) if the child is already in county custody. Which path fits depends on how the child came to you and what county court or agency is involved.

For children in foster care, Pennsylvania’s PLC and subsidized PLC rules can be very valuable. A qualifying PLC case can include a negotiated monthly subsidy that cannot exceed the foster family home rate, a one-time reimbursement of up to $2,000 in nonrecurring legal-custody expenses, and appeal rights if benefits are wrongly denied. The same Pennsylvania bulletin says a county may not deny subsidized PLC based on a means test of the legal custodian.

If you reach permanency through PLC or formal kinship care in the child welfare system, Pennsylvania’s Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN) post-permanency services can provide case advocacy, support groups, and respite.

School enrollment and medical consent issues

Do this first: Do not let a missing custody order delay school or basic care without asking for the Pennsylvania rule that actually fits your situation.

For school, the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s enrollment guidance says that when a child lives with a district resident and the parents do not live in the district, the resident may enroll the child either by showing custody or by filing a sworn statement under Section 1302. That sworn statement route requires you to show that you are supporting the child without compensation or gain, that the child lives with you for the full year and not just the school term, and that you will take responsibility for schooling. Pennsylvania even posts a fillable sworn statement form.

For medical care, Pennsylvania’s Medical Consent Act lets a parent, legal guardian, or legal custodian give a relative or family friend the power to consent to medical, dental, developmental, mental health, and other treatment and to get records. This can be a very useful short-term tool if a parent is cooperative. It does not solve every problem, and it does not apply if the child is already in county custody or a court order blocks it.

Practical tip: If a school or clinic tells you “we need custody papers,” ask them whether they will accept the Section 1302 sworn statement or a Medical Consent Act authorization instead. If the child is doubled-up, displaced, or missing records after a crisis, ask for the district homeless liaison too.

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

• What it is: Pennsylvania children can qualify for Medical Assistance or, if not eligible for MA, CHIP.
• Who can get it or use it: Uninsured children and teens up to age 19 may qualify for CHIP. Pennsylvania’s grandparent guidance says your income will only be counted for CHIP if you have legally adopted your grandchildren.
• How it helps: CHIP covers doctor visits, prescriptions, dental, vision, hospital care, and more. For children with disabilities, Pennsylvania also has Medical Assistance for Children with Special Needs (PH95), which can cover a child under 18 even when family income is too high for regular MA.
• How to apply or use it: Apply through COMPASS, by mail, or by phone. For CHIP application help, Pennsylvania lists the CHIP helpline at 1-800-986-5437, prompt 2 then prompt 1.
• What to gather or know first: Have names, birth dates, Social Security numbers if available, insurance information, and income details for the people applying. If you need language help, Pennsylvania DHS has language access services, and the state says Medical Assistance doctors must provide free interpreter access when needed.

Food help and child benefits for kinship families

Do this first: Add food help to your first application. Many grandparents apply for cash and forget SNAP, WIC, or school meals.

• SNAP: Apply through Pennsylvania’s SNAP application page or your CAO.
• School meals: Tell the school right away if the child now lives with you and ask how to complete meal forms or direct certification steps.
• WIC: Pennsylvania says children under age 5 who receive Medical Assistance are eligible for WIC regardless of income.
• Child care help: If you work or are in approved training, ask about Child Care Works at 1-877-472-5437. Relative providers can sometimes participate if they meet Pennsylvania rules.

Housing help for seniors raising grandchildren

Do this first: If taking in a child changes your housing need, report the household change quickly to your landlord, housing authority, or voucher worker. Local housing deadlines and occupancy rules vary.

Pennsylvania’s housing resources page links county-by-county housing authorities, homeless providers, community action agencies, and other local housing contacts. If you are homeless or close to losing housing, ask the CAO about the Emergency Shelter Allowance (ESA), which can help families with a child under 21 in qualifying situations.

Reality check: Housing help is one of the biggest county-and-city variation areas in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and smaller counties often use different waitlists, hotlines, and local rules. If you need utility help, check the current LIHEAP page because the application season changes from year to year.

Legal custody vs kinship care vs informal caregiving

• Informal caregiving: The child lives with you, but you do not have a court order. This is common and can still qualify for benefits.
• Kinship care: A plain-English term for children raised by relatives or close family-like adults. In Pennsylvania, it can be informal or formal.
• Formal kinship care: Usually means the child is in the child welfare system and placed with kin through county Children and Youth.
• Legal custody or guardianship: A court gives you authority to make decisions. This often makes school, medical, and long-term planning easier, but it does not by itself create foster care payments.

What documents grandparents need

Apply even if you do not have every paper yet. Pennsylvania’s benefits application says the state will tell you within 30 days if you are eligible or not, and missing proofs can often be turned in after you start the case.

• ☐ Your photo ID
• ☐ Proof of your Pennsylvania address
• ☐ Child’s name, date of birth, and Social Security number if available
• ☐ Proof the child lives with you now
• ☐ Any custody, court, foster placement, or police paperwork
• ☐ School records, immunization records, or daycare records
• ☐ Medical insurance cards or prescription information
• ☐ Proof of income for anyone applying for benefits
• ☐ Rent, mortgage, utility, and child care bills
• ☐ Any document showing why the parent is not caring for the child, if available

Support groups and respite help for older caregivers

Ask for breaks early: Older caregivers burn out fast when they wait too long to ask for respite.

Your best Pennsylvania starting points are the Caregiver Support Program through the AAA, PA KinConnector, and SWAN post-permanency services if your family reached permanency through formal kinship care or PLC. Pennsylvania also has PA Link at 1-800-753-8827 for phone-based help finding respite, disability, and local support services.

Best first steps after a grandparent takes in a child

1. Make the home safe. If there is abuse, neglect, or immediate danger, call 911 or ChildLine.
2. Figure out the legal lane. Ask whether this is informal care, a county placement, or something that needs a custody filing.
3. Start benefits the same day. Child-only TANF, SNAP, and health coverage are often the first real supports.
4. Call PA KinConnector. It can save hours of wrong turns.
5. Tell the school and doctor’s office immediately. Ask what they need under Pennsylvania rules.
6. Call your AAA if you are 55 or older. Many seniors miss the Caregiver Support Program for months.
7. Keep a paper trail. Save every notice, screenshot, fax sheet, and name of every worker you speak with.

How grandparents can apply for benefits in this state

• Use one front door first: Start with COMPASS, the phone line at 1-866-550-4355, or your CAO.
• Ask for the right case type: If you only want help for the child, say child-only TANF.
• Add programs together: Ask for cash, SNAP, and health coverage in the same application when possible.
• Use phone and paper if online fails: If the portal freezes or uploads do not stick, submit proofs to the CAO another way and keep copies. For COMPASS help, call 1-800-692-7462.
• Track the case: Pennsylvania’s tracker shows status, appointments, and missing documents.
• Watch your mail after approval: If you receive TANF or SNAP, Pennsylvania’s semi-annual report is due six months after approval or six months after your renewal interview.

Reality checks

• Informal care is common, but it is financially weak. Most grandparents in Pennsylvania do not get foster care money unless the child is formally placed through county Children and Youth.
• Child-only TANF is real, but it is small. Even in the highest county group, one child is only $215 a month.
• County practice matters. Pennsylvania’s child welfare system is county-run, so one county may move a kinship case much faster than another.
• Paperwork delays are normal. Missing notices, upload failures, and long hold times happen. Keep copies and follow up.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Waiting for a custody order before applying for child-only benefits
• Opening a full-family TANF case when you only wanted help for the child
• Forgetting to ask the school about the Section 1302 sworn statement
• Assuming kinship care automatically means foster care payments
• Ignoring the semi-annual report or other follow-up mail
• Relying on one old website instead of checking the live Pennsylvania page or calling

Best options by need

• I need money this month: Child-only TANF, SNAP, and possibly ESA if housing is unstable.
• I need legal authority: The PA Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Legal Line and local legal aid.
• I need school and doctor access: Section 1302 school enrollment tools and the Medical Consent Act if a parent can sign.
• I am over 55 and overwhelmed: Your AAA’s Caregiver Support Program and PA Link.
• I think this should be a foster or county case: County Children and Youth plus KinConnector.
• The child has major health needs: Medical Assistance, CHIP, and PH95 for special-needs children.

What to do if denied, delayed, or blocked

• Ask what exactly is missing. Get the reason in writing, the deadline, and the name of the worker.
• Call the right office back. If it is benefits, call the CAO or 1-866-550-4355. If it is a portal problem, call COMPASS at 1-800-692-7462.
• Appeal on time. Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Hearings and Appeals handles benefit disputes. For cash assistance, Medical Assistance, CHIP, and LIHEAP, Pennsylvania policy generally requires an appeal within 30 days of the written notice. Follow the exact instructions on your notice.
• Ask for free legal help. Try the legal line for grandparents raising grandchildren if you are 60+, or the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network directory.
• Ask for language help or accommodations. You can request an interpreter, and Pennsylvania offers language services. Deaf and hard-of-hearing seniors can use the state’s ASL interpreter finder.

Plan B / backup options

• If child-only TANF is denied, still apply for SNAP and health coverage.
• If the county says the case is “informal,” ask whether you should file for custody and call the legal line.
• If you are age 55+, ask the AAA for Caregiver Support even if you were denied cash help.
• If you need local food, clothing, or emergency help, call PA 211.
• If you cannot get through online, use phone, mail, or in-person CAO options.

Local resources for Pennsylvania seniors and kinship families

• PA KinConnector: 1-866-546-2111 and the statewide kinship navigator website
• County Assistance Office finder: official CAO locations and phone numbers
• Apply for benefits online: COMPASS
• Application status: Track My Benefits
• Area Agency on Aging finder: local AAA directory
• PA Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Legal Line: 1-877-727-7529 through Pennsylvania Department of Aging and SeniorLAW Center
• County Children and Youth agencies: official county directory
• Educational Law Center: school rights help or 215-238-6970
• PA Link to Aging and Disability Resources: official PA Link page or 1-800-753-8827

Diverse communities

Seniors with disabilities

If you need help by phone and cannot manage long online forms, start with PA Link and your AAA. If your grandchild has a disability, ask about PH95 Medical Assistance for Children with Special Needs.

Veteran seniors

The Department of Aging’s caregiver resources point older adults to the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Office for Veterans Affairs for additional family support and referrals.

Immigrant and refugee seniors

Pennsylvania DHS has language services, and Medical Assistance providers must offer free interpreter access when needed. PA KinConnector also highlights support for Spanish-speaking families.

Rural seniors with limited access

Use phone-based help first: 1-866-550-4355 for benefits, 1-866-546-2111 for KinConnector, and 1-800-753-8827 for PA Link. Rural counties may have fewer local offices, so paper copies, mail receipts, and call logs matter more.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a monthly kinship payment for every grandparent in Pennsylvania?

No. Pennsylvania does not have one broad monthly kinship stipend for every informal grandparent caregiver. Most families start with child-only TANF, SNAP, and Caregiver Support Program reimbursement through Aging. Foster care or PLC-related payments usually require that the child be in the formal county child welfare system.

Can I get child-only TANF without legal custody?

Often, yes. Pennsylvania TANF can cover a dependent child living with a relative caregiver, and a child-only case is different from a full-family case. You should still expect the CAO to ask why the parent is not caring for the child and whether child support cooperation rules apply. If support would be unsafe, ask about Pennsylvania’s good-cause exception.

Can grandparents get foster care payments in Pennsylvania?

Yes, but usually only if the child is formally placed with you through county Children and Youth and you are approved as a kinship or resource foster home. If the child came to you through a private family arrangement, that does not automatically create foster care payments. Use the county agency directory if you think your case should be formalized.

How do I enroll my grandchild in school if I do not have custody?

Ask the district about the Section 1302 resident caregiver rule and use Pennsylvania’s sworn statement form if it fits your situation. If the family is doubled-up or displaced, ask for the district homeless liaison too.

Does my income count for my grandchild’s Medical Assistance or CHIP?

It depends on the program and family setup. Pennsylvania’s grandparent CHIP guidance says your income will only be counted if you have legally adopted your grandchildren. If the child has a disability, ask about PH95, which can help even when regular income rules would block coverage.

What is Permanent Legal Custodianship in Pennsylvania?

PLC is a permanency option for a child who is already in county custody and substitute care. In qualifying cases, Pennsylvania’s official PLC bulletin allows a negotiated subsidy, nonrecurring legal expense reimbursement up to $2,000, and appeal rights. It is not the same thing as an informal family caregiving arrangement.

What should I do first if I am over 55 and just took in a grandchild?

Call PA KinConnector, file for benefits through COMPASS or your CAO, and contact your Area Agency on Aging about the Caregiver Support Program. If you are age 60 or older and need legal help, call the PA legal line for grandparents raising grandchildren.

Resumen en español

Si usted es abuelo, abuela u otro familiar mayor en Pennsylvania y un niño acaba de mudarse con usted, no espere para pedir ayuda. Empiece con PA KinConnector, solicite beneficios en COMPASS o con su County Assistance Office, y pregunte si el caso debe ser child-only TANF. También pida Medical Assistance, CHIP y SNAP para el menor.

Si usted tiene 55 años o más, contacte su Area Agency on Aging para preguntar por el Caregiver Support Program. Si tiene 60 años o más y necesita ayuda legal sobre custodia, tutela o la escuela, llame a la línea legal para abuelos que crían nietos al 1-877-727-7529. Para la escuela, pregunte por la declaración jurada de la sección 1302 del Department of Education. Para ayuda adicional por teléfono, use PA Link al 1-800-753-8827.

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 7, 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 and 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 Pennsylvania program, office, court, school district, plan, or agency before you act.