Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Wisconsin: 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: Wisconsin does not have one simple statewide cash program just for grandparents raising grandchildren. In most cases, the real help comes from Wisconsin Kinship Care, licensed relative foster care, subsidized guardianship, child health coverage, FoodShare, Wisconsin Shares child care, and local caregiver support through your Aging and Disability Resource Center. If a child just moved in with you, your best first call is usually your county or tribal Kinship Care Coordinator, or Milwaukee County Child Protective Services if you live in Milwaukee County.

Emergency help now

• If child protective services or police just removed the child, call the local child welfare agency right away and go to court if told to appear. Wisconsin says a temporary physical custody hearing must happen within 48 hours after an emergency removal.
• If the child has no insurance card, medicine, or doctor access, call ForwardHealth Member Services at 1-800-362-3002. If the child is in out-of-home care, also call the DCF Medicaid Program at 833-543-5265.
• If you are facing eviction, utility shutoff, or no heat, call Emergency Assistance at 1-855-757-4539 and Home Energy Plus at 1-800-506-5596 the same day.

Quick help

• Fastest cash path for most grandparents: Ask your Kinship Care Coordinator whether the child can be opened in Kinship Care.
• Fastest health and food path: Use Wisconsin ACCESS or your county or Tribal income maintenance agency to apply for BadgerCare Plus and FoodShare.
• Fastest senior-centered support path: Call your local ADRC or 1-844-947-2372 for caregiver help, respite leads, and benefit navigation.
• Milwaukee County: Child welfare cases run through the Division of Milwaukee Child Protective Services, not the county office used elsewhere.
• No computer? Wisconsin allows phone, mail, and in-person applications for major health and food programs.

What this help actually looks like in Wisconsin

Most important action: Figure out which lane you are in: informal caregiving, Kinship Care, licensed relative foster care, or guardianship. In Wisconsin, that one answer changes your monthly money, your legal authority, and the child’s health coverage.

Wisconsin does not offer one broad, stand-alone “grandparents raising grandchildren” program. Instead, help is split across several state and local systems. The main public child-welfare cash option is Kinship Care. If the child is formally placed with you and you become licensed, you may qualify for foster care payments. If the case moves to permanency, subsidized guardianship may be the better long-term path. If the child is living with you informally, you may still be able to get BadgerCare Plus, FoodShare, WIC, and school help.

Wisconsin is moving more children toward relatives and close family connections. The state said that 39% of children entering out-of-home care in 2024 were initially placed with relatives. Wisconsin also expanded support for “like-kin” caregivers through changes effective January 1, 2025, so some close family friends and similar adult connections now fit better into the system than they did a few years ago.

Quick facts

• Best immediate takeaway: If you are a grandparent who just took in a child, start with Kinship Care, not a random search for “child-only TANF.”
• Major rule: Wisconsin Kinship Care requires agency approval, background checks on adults in the home, cooperation with child support unless exempt, and a review every 12 months.
• Realistic obstacle: Grandparents often have the child but not the paperwork, which slows school, doctor visits, and benefits.
• Useful fact: Children in court-ordered out-of-home care usually get Foster Care Medicaid regardless of the caregiver’s income.
• Best next step: Open an ACCESS application for the child and call your local kinship office the same day.

Who qualifies in plain language

Most important action: Do not assume you are disqualified just because you are retired, low-income, or do not have custody yet. In Wisconsin, informal caregivers, kinship caregivers, foster parents, and guardians can qualify for very different kinds of help.

• You may fit Wisconsin Kinship Care if a grandchild or other minor relative is living with you because their needs can be better met in your home and the placement is in the child’s best interest under state Kinship Care rules.
• Wisconsin recognizes relatives such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins, nieces, nephews, and some like-kin or close family connections.
• For Kinship Care or foster care, Wisconsin usually checks all adults in the home through required background checks.
• If the child is with you informally, you may still be able to get health coverage, food help, and emergency housing help.
• If you live in Milwaukee County, child welfare cases go through state-run Milwaukee CPS. In most other parts of Wisconsin, county or Tribal agencies handle the case.

Best first steps after a grandparent takes in a child

Most important action: Get the child’s status clear in the first few days. Ask, “Is this informal care, Kinship Care, foster care, or a court case?”

• Take photos or copies of every paper you have, including school papers, medicine bottles, insurance cards, text messages from the parent, and any court notice.
• Call your county or Tribal Kinship Care Coordinator, or Milwaukee CPS if you are in Milwaukee County.
• Apply for the child’s health coverage and food help through ACCESS or your local income maintenance agency.
• Tell the school the child is living with you and ask what they need for enrollment or continued attendance.
• Ask the parent, if safe and possible, to sign paperwork that lets you make school and medical decisions while you work on longer-term authority.
• If you have rent, mortgage, heat, or shutoff trouble, call Emergency Assistance and Home Energy Plus right away.

Financial help for grandparents raising grandchildren

Most important action: Start with the Wisconsin options below in this order: Kinship Care, relative foster care if the child is formally placed, subsidized guardianship if the case is moving to permanency, and then child-focused benefits like FoodShare, BadgerCare Plus, and child care help.

Kinship care payments and kinship navigator help in this state

• What it is: Wisconsin Kinship Care is the main monthly state support for relatives and like-kin raising a child outside the parent’s home.
• Who can get it or use it: A caregiver approved by the county, Tribe, or Milwaukee CPS who meets the basic placement tests and other program rules on the official Kinship Care page.
• How it helps: The 2026 Kinship Care rate is $384 a month per child. If the placement is court-ordered, Wisconsin policy says the child is also tied to Medicaid, SNAP, and the Free School Lunch Program.
• How to apply or use it: Contact your local Kinship Care Coordinator. Use the state’s Kinship Care forms page for the DCF-F-CFS2023 Kinship Care Payment Application. Milwaukee families should use the Milwaukee CPS Kinship Care Program.
• What to gather or know first: Your ID, proof the child lives with you, any court papers, parent contact information, school information, Social Security numbers if available, and names of every adult in the home for background checks. Watch your mail, because Kinship Care must be reviewed every 12 months.

Do not skip the Wisconsin Kinship Navigator Portal. It is one of the better state tools for sorting out whether you are an informal caregiver, a guardian, a kinship caregiver, or a foster parent, and it points families to local resources instead of giving a generic national answer.

Child-only TANF for grandparents raising grandchildren

• What it is: Wisconsin’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program is Wisconsin Works, or W-2. But Wisconsin does not use a broad stand-alone child-only TANF grant for grandparents the way many states do. On its own TANF child-only page, DCF explains that the child-only groups left out of W-2 were placed in Kinship Care or the Caretaker Supplement instead.
• Who can get it or use it: For most grandparents, the right first question is “Can this child be opened in Kinship Care?” W-2 is mainly for low-income parents and pregnant adults. The Caretaker Supplement is a narrow option only for people getting Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, who are parents under that program’s rules.
• How it helps: It saves time and prevents wrong-office delays. If you are in the narrow Caretaker Supplement group, DHS says it pays $275 a month for the first eligible child and $165 for each additional child.
• How to apply or use it: Start Kinship questions with your Kinship Care Coordinator. Use your local W-2 agency if you also need work help or Emergency Assistance. If you truly may fit the SSI-parent pathway, apply for the Caretaker Supplement through ACCESS or your local or Tribal agency.
• What to gather or know first: Any SSI notice, proof the child lives with you, court papers, housing bills, and income details if you are also applying for W-2 or Emergency Assistance.

Can grandparents get foster care payments?

• What it is: Yes, sometimes. If the child is formally placed with you and you become a licensed foster home, you can receive the Wisconsin Uniform Foster Care Rate.
• Who can get it or use it: Relative and like-kin caregivers working with child welfare. Wisconsin’s updated foster care rule created a streamlined relative licensing pathway and pay equity. State guidance also says a relative Level 2 foster home has lighter training than the older system, including six hours of pre-placement training within six months of licensure.
• How it helps: Under the 2026 basic rate memo, Level 2 and above foster homes use age-based basic rates of $452 for ages 0-4, $495 for ages 5-11, $562 for ages 12-14, and $586 for ages 15-18. The foster care system can also include an initial clothing allowance and, in some cases, supplemental or exceptional rates under the Uniform Foster Care Rate rules.
• How to apply or use it: Ask the caseworker or licensing agency whether foster home licensing is available in your specific case. Not every Kinship Care placement becomes a foster placement.
• What to gather or know first: Full household information, background-check details, home safety information, and questions about how licensing will affect your current payment, school paperwork, and the child’s insurance.

Guardianship assistance for older caregivers

• What it is: Guardianship gives you legal authority to make major decisions for the child. In child-welfare cases, subsidized guardianship can continue monthly support after the court appoints you.
• Who can get it or use it: Ordinary guardianship can help many grandparents, but it does not automatically bring money. Subsidized guardianship is narrower. Wisconsin says the prospective guardian must have been licensed as a foster parent for at least six months, and the agreement must be signed before the court appoints the guardian.
• How it helps: A guardian can make big decisions without ending the child’s legal relationship to the parents. Wisconsin says a child with an active subsidized guardianship agreement keeps Foster Care Medicaid, and the payment cannot be more than the child’s prior foster care rate.
• How to apply or use it: Talk with the caseworker before filing anything in court. For forms and county court guides, start with the Wisconsin State Law Library guardianship page. If the parent is cooperative and you only need a temporary bridge, ask about the Wisconsin parental power of attorney under Wis. Stat. 48.979.
• What to gather or know first: Placement papers, foster license records, the child’s medical and school needs, any permanency plan, and a clear list of why you need legal authority now.

Wisconsin Shares child care and work support

• What it is: Wisconsin Shares helps with child care costs.
• Who can get it or use it: Wisconsin says it can help parents and caregivers, including foster parents and kinship caregivers, who are working, in approved training, or doing school-plus-work activities.
• How it helps: It can lower the cost of care while you keep a job or take part-time work after retirement.
• How to apply or use it: Apply through ACCESS for Wisconsin Shares or use the local contacts on the Wisconsin Shares parent page.
• What to gather or know first: Your work or activity schedule, your child care provider information, and your income details. If you are fully retired and not in a work or approved activity path, this usually will not be your best fit.

School enrollment and medical consent issues

Most important action: Before you go to the school office or clinic, gather every paper that shows the child lives with you and every paper that shows authority.

School enrollment

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction guidance for school professionals says Wisconsin law does not specifically name who may enroll a child and that enrollment decisions are based on the student’s residency. That helps grandparents, but it does not mean every district will accept a child with no paperwork. Bring proof the child lives with you, any court order, school records, immunization records, and any signed parent authority. If your housing is unstable, ask for the school district’s homeless liaison the same day. Wisconsin school guidance for homeless youth says a district may not require legal guardianship before enrollment in those cases.

Medical consent

Routine care is often harder than emergency care when you are an informal caregiver. A doctor’s office may want a parent, legal guardian, placement paperwork, or a signed power of attorney before it will discuss records or approve non-emergency treatment. If a parent is willing, look at the Wisconsin parental power of attorney resources for the court system’s GF-223 Power of Attorney Delegating Parental Power. If the child is in out-of-home care and providers say they cannot talk to you, cannot find active coverage, or say you are not on the ForwardHealth record, call the DCF Medicaid Program at 833-543-5265.

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

Most important action: If the child is in court-ordered out-of-home care, ask first whether the child already has Foster Care Medicaid before filing a new BadgerCare Plus application.

Wisconsin says children in out-of-home care through a court order are eligible for Foster Care Medicaid regardless of placement type or caregiver payment. The same page says that coverage has no co-pays, premiums, or deductibles, and that household income does not matter. If the child is with you informally, use ACCESS or your local income maintenance agency to apply for BadgerCare Plus.

Wisconsin now gives most children under 19 a 12-month continuous coverage period once enrolled, and the state’s current BadgerCare Plus table uses a 306% federal poverty level limit for children. That is one reason many grandkids in informal care still qualify even when the adult caregiver does not. Some counties also use Care4Kids for extra health care coordination for children in out-of-home care. If you need help with coverage ending, Wisconsin also gives many children a 3-to-12-month grace period after out-of-home care or subsidy ends.

Food help and child benefits for kinship families

Most important action: Apply for food help even if you think your retirement income is “too high.” Child-based rules can surprise families.

FoodShare applications can be filed online, by phone, by mail, or in person. Wisconsin says the FoodShare interview is usually by phone, but you can ask to meet in person. If the child is under 5, WIC may help with food, formula, and nutrition support, and Wisconsin says foster care and Kinship Care fit WIC eligibility pathways. The same WIC page says you do not need to be a legal resident of the United States to get WIC.

If the child is in court-ordered Kinship Care, Wisconsin policy treats the child as categorically eligible for SNAP and the Free School Lunch Program. For child support, the Wisconsin child support guide says there is no application fee. If you are receiving Kinship Care, ask the worker to explain assigned child support in Kinship Care, because that part confuses many grandparents.

Housing help for seniors raising grandchildren

Most important action: If the crisis is rent, mortgage, heat, or shutoff, do not wait for the kinship case to finish first. Apply for the housing or utility help the same week.

Wisconsin does not have a separate statewide housing subsidy just for grandparents raising grandchildren. The closest real statewide options are Emergency Assistance, Home Energy Plus, school homelessness protections, and whatever local housing help your county, Tribe, or housing authority offers.

Emergency Assistance is available to a parent or relative caring for a child under 18 with a housing or utility emergency. Wisconsin says the household must have income at or below 115% of the federal poverty level, limited assets, and must not have received Emergency Assistance in the past 12 months. For utility or heat help, the Home Energy Plus application says families already disconnected or about to lose heat should call 1-800-506-5596; the same page says online review can take up to 10 business days and incomplete applications can be denied after 30 days.

Legal custody vs kinship care vs informal caregiving

Most important action: Do not use these words as if they mean the same thing. In Wisconsin, they do not.

• Informal caregiving: Fastest to start, but it gives the least legal protection. You may still get health and food help, but school and medical decisions can be harder.
• Kinship Care: A support payment and child-welfare framework. Helpful, but not the same as full legal guardianship.
• Guardianship: A court order that gives decision-making power. It may or may not come with money.
• Licensed foster care: A formal child-welfare placement plus licensing. It usually pays more than Kinship Care, but it comes with more agency oversight.

If you are not sure which path you have, use the Wisconsin Kinship Navigator and the Wisconsin State Law Library’s grandparent rights and responsibilities guide. Those two resources answer more real-life questions than most search results do.

What documents grandparents need

Most important action: Bring what you have now. Do not wait for the “perfect” file before asking for help.

• The child’s name, date of birth, and Social Security number, if known
• Any court order, placement paper, or child-welfare notice
• Proof the child is living with you, such as school mail, a landlord note, or a written parent statement
• Insurance cards, medicine bottles, and doctor names
• School records, report cards, and immunization records
• Your income, rent, mortgage, and utility information if you are applying for benefits based on need

Support groups and respite help for older caregivers

Most important action: Call your local ADRC even if you think your problem is “about the child, not me.” Wisconsin’s senior caregiver system often has the best practical help for older adults raising kids.

The Aging and Disability Resource Center system serves all Wisconsin residents and can be reached at 1-844-947-2372. Wisconsin says ADRCs can help by phone, in person, and even through home visits. For older relatives, the better statewide caregiver program is often the Relatives As Parents Program under the National Family Caregiver Support Program. Wisconsin says that pathway can serve a relative caregiver who is 55 or older, lives with the child, is the primary caregiver, and is raising a child under 18 or an adult child with a disability age 19 to 59.

For statewide support, start with the Wisconsin Family Caregiver Support Program’s grandparent and relative caregiver page, the Wisconsin Family Connections Center, the Wisconsin Adoption & Permanency Support Program, and the Respite Care Association of Wisconsin. Milwaukee and Dane County families can also use the local programs listed on the state caregiver page, including Kids Matter, SaintA, The Parenting Network, and The Rainbow Project.

How grandparents can apply for benefits in this state

Most important action: Open the child’s cases first, then sort out your own. In Wisconsin, that usually means child welfare, health coverage, food help, and then your housing or work supports.

• Sort the case type first: informal care, Kinship Care, foster care, or guardianship.
• Call the local kinship office: Use the Kinship Care Coordinator map. Milwaukee uses its own Kinship Care program.
• Apply for health and food help: Use ACCESS or your county or Tribal income maintenance agency. Wisconsin uses county and Tribal agencies, often in multi-county consortia, for these programs.
• Apply for crisis help separately: Use Emergency Assistance and Home Energy Plus for rent, shutoff, or heat emergencies.
• Ask for phone or in-person help: Wisconsin’s major benefit systems allow phone, mail, and in-person applications. For FoodShare, Wisconsin says the interview is normally by phone, but you can ask for in-person help.
• Save every name and number: Write down the worker’s name, date, phone number, and exactly what they asked for.
• Add local agency numbers to your contacts: Wisconsin’s income maintenance agency page even suggests doing this so you do not miss important calls.

Application and proof checklist

• ☐ Photo ID for the grandparent or caregiver
• ☐ The child’s birth date and Social Security number, if known
• ☐ Any court order, placement paper, or child-welfare notice
• ☐ The child’s school name, doctor name, and insurance card
• ☐ Proof the child lives with you
• ☐ Names and dates of birth for all adults in your home
• ☐ Income proof for anyone whose income must be counted
• ☐ Rent, mortgage, utility, and shutoff papers if the home is in crisis
• ☐ Any parent-signed authority paper, including a power of attorney if you have one
• ☐ A notebook or phone note with every worker’s name, date, and next step

Reality checks

• Kinship Care is not automatic: Just because the child is living with you does not mean the payment starts by itself. The case must be opened and approved.
• One missed call can stall a case: FoodShare interviews and worker callbacks often come from unfamiliar numbers. Save agency numbers and answer local or blocked calls during application week.
• Schools and clinics still want paperwork: Wisconsin rules may help you, but front desks still ask for documents. Ask exactly what paper is missing.
• Mail still matters: Kinship reviews, renewal packets, and denial notices still come by mail. Update your address fast if you move.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Searching only for “child-only TANF” and never asking about Kinship Care
• Assuming Kinship Care gives the same authority as guardianship
• Waiting for every document before you call or apply
• Missing the FoodShare interview phone call
• Not asking whether foster home licensing is possible in a formal placement
• Ignoring annual review or renewal mail
• Using unofficial websites instead of DCF, DHS, the State Law Library, or other high-trust Wisconsin sources

Best options by need

• Need monthly child support money now: Start with Kinship Care.
• Need higher monthly support in a formal case: Ask whether relative foster care licensing is available.
• Need legal authority for school and doctors: Ask about guardianship or a parental power of attorney.
• Need the child insured fast: Check for Foster Care Medicaid first, then apply for BadgerCare Plus if needed.
• Need food help: Use FoodShare and WIC.
• Need rent, heat, or shutoff help: Apply for Emergency Assistance and Home Energy Plus.
• Need a break or emotional support: Call your ADRC and ask about caregiver support and respite.

What to do if denied, delayed, or blocked

• If Kinship Care is denied: Ask for the exact reason in writing. If the problem was a barred background issue, the state Kinship Care page says applicants denied on background-check results can request a Director Review. You can also call the general DCF Kinship Care line at 608-422-6921.
• If BadgerCare Plus or FoodShare is delayed or denied: Read the notice, keep the envelope, and use the appeal rights on the notice or the Wisconsin fair hearing process linked from the apply-for-benefits page. You can also call 1-800-362-3002.
• If W-2 or Emergency Assistance is wrong: Wisconsin says you can ask for a Fact Finding review. If you still have problems, call 1-855-757-4539.
• If the local child-welfare office will not respond: Start with the worker’s supervisor. If that fails, use the state child welfare complaint process or call 608-422-6886.
• If a provider says you are not authorized on the child’s Medicaid record: Call the DCF Medicaid Program at 833-543-5265 or ForwardHealth Member Services at 1-800-362-3002.

Plan B and backup options

• Use the Wisconsin Kinship Navigator to identify a better-fitting path.
• Use the Wisconsin State Law Library guide for grandparents and relatives if the main problem is legal authority.
• Ask Covering Wisconsin for free health insurance enrollment help.
• Use the 211 Wisconsin relative caregiver search if you need local food, school, counseling, or family support leads.
• If the case is informal and the parent is cooperative, ask about a parental power of attorney while you work on longer-term court options.

Local Wisconsin resources

• Wisconsin Family Caregiver Support Program: Grandparent & Relative Caregiver Resources
• Relatives As Parents Program for caregivers age 55 and older, including a contact person listed at 608-228-8096
• Wisconsin Family Connections Center for statewide relative caregiver support
• Coalition for Children, Youth & Families for trainings and tip sheets
• Wisconsin Adoption & Permanency Support Program for KINnect support and mental health resources
• Milwaukee and Dane caregivers can use the local program list on the state caregiver resource page. That page points to Kids Matter, SaintA, The Parenting Network, and The Rainbow Project.

Diverse communities

Seniors with disabilities

If you need help as an older adult with your own disability needs while raising a child, start with the ADRC. Wisconsin says ADRCs can help with options counseling, benefits, and home visits. If the child has special health, disability, or mental health needs, the Wisconsin Wayfinder line at 1-877-947-2929 is a good statewide starting point.

Tribal-specific resources

Use the Kinship Care Coordinator map to find Tribal contacts, not just county offices. If the child is a member of, or may be eligible for, a Tribe, tell the worker and the court early. Tribal placement and notice rules can change the case path. Wisconsin’s Tribal Affairs office and your Tribe’s own human services office are important contacts.

Rural seniors with limited access

You do not need to do everything online. Wisconsin allows phone, mail, and in-person applications for major benefits, and the ADRC system can help connect you to local support close to home. If your main problem is heat or electric service, do not wait on the internet form. Call 1-800-506-5596.

Immigrant and refugee seniors

Wisconsin says free language help and disability aids are available on request for FoodShare and other ForwardHealth programs by calling 1-800-362-3002. The WIC program does not require legal U.S. residency. If someone in the family cannot get regular Medicaid because of citizenship or immigration status, Wisconsin’s Emergency Services program may cover emergencies, and that page says a Social Security number is not required and family information is not shared with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. Wisconsin also lists a refugee information line at 414-270-4744.

Frequently asked questions

Is there child-only TANF for grandparents in Wisconsin?

Usually not in the way people mean it. Wisconsin Works, or W-2, is the state’s TANF program, but DCF’s own child-only page explains that the older child-only groups were placed in Kinship Care or the Caretaker Supplement instead. For most grandparents raising grandchildren in Wisconsin, the right first question is whether the child can be opened in Kinship Care.

How much is Wisconsin Kinship Care in 2026?

The official Wisconsin Kinship Care page says the rate is $384 per child per month in 2026. That does not replace other help, so families should still ask about FoodShare, BadgerCare Plus or Foster Care Medicaid, school meals, and child care help.

Can a grandparent get foster care payments instead of kinship care?

Sometimes, yes. If the child is formally placed with you by child welfare and you become a licensed foster home, Wisconsin’s Uniform Foster Care Rate may pay more than Kinship Care. Ask the caseworker whether relative foster licensing is open in your case, because not every grandparent placement is treated as foster care.

Can I enroll my grandchild in school without custody papers in Wisconsin?

Sometimes, but expect the district to ask questions. Wisconsin school guidance says enrollment decisions are based on the child’s residency, not just who is standing at the front desk, but schools still want proof the child lives with you and papers showing who can make decisions. If your housing is unstable, ask for the district’s homeless liaison right away.

Can I take my grandchild to the doctor if I do not have guardianship?

You may be able to get emergency care, but routine care can be difficult without authority papers. A parent-signed parental power of attorney, a court order, or child-welfare placement paperwork usually makes doctor visits much easier. If the child is in out-of-home care and the clinic says you are not on the Medicaid record, call the DCF Medicaid Program at 833-543-5265.

Does the grandchild get Wisconsin Medicaid if the child is living with me?

If the child is in court-ordered out-of-home care, Foster Care Medicaid usually follows the child and does not depend on your income. If the child is living with you informally, apply for BadgerCare Plus through ACCESS or your local agency. Wisconsin also gives most enrolled children 12 months of continuous coverage.

Where should I start if I live in Milwaukee County?

For child-welfare placement and Kinship Care issues, start with the Milwaukee CPS Kinship Care Program. For W-2 or Emergency Assistance, use the Milwaukee W-2 line at 414-270-4702. For FoodShare, Medicaid, and BadgerCare Plus, use the local contact information on the Milwaukee Enrollment Services page.

Resumen en español

En Wisconsin, la ayuda principal para abuelos que están criando nietos no suele ser un “child-only TANF” tradicional. En la mayoría de los casos, el primer paso correcto es preguntar por Wisconsin Kinship Care y usar ACCESS para solicitar seguro médico y ayuda con alimentos para el menor. Si el niño está en cuidado fuera del hogar por orden judicial, puede tener Foster Care Medicaid aunque el ingreso del abuelo sea más alto.

Si vive en Milwaukee County, use Milwaukee CPS para temas de colocación y Kinship Care. Si necesita ayuda como cuidador mayor, llame a su Aging and Disability Resource Center o al 1-844-947-2372. Para problemas de renta, servicios públicos o falta de calefacción, use Emergency Assistance y Home Energy Plus. Si necesita autoridad temporal para escuela o médico, revise los recursos sobre power of attorney parental y tutela. También puede encontrar apoyo local para familias de parientes cuidadores en la página estatal de recursos para abuelos y otros familiares cuidadores.

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. It is not legal, financial, medical, tax, disability-rights, immigration, or government-agency advice. Program rules, policies, payment amounts, and local availability can change. Always confirm current details directly with the official Wisconsin program, court, school district, plan, or agency before you act.