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Last updated: May 27, 2026
Bottom Line: Maine does not have one simple monthly check for grandparents raising grandchildren in an informal family arrangement. Most families need to combine child-only TANF, MaineCare for the child, food help, school paperwork, local town help, and kinship support. If the child is in a child welfare case, tell the caseworker right away that you are family and want to be considered for kinship placement.
Emergency help now
- Immediate danger: Call 911. To report child abuse or neglect, call Maine child welfare through the OCFS contact page at 1-800-452-1999. The line is staffed every day, all day.
- Medical care today: Bring your ID and any parent note, school form, court paper, or DHHS paper you have. Maine law allows some relatives to use minor health surrogate rules after a good-faith effort to notify the parent or guardian.
- Food, cash, or health coverage: Start through My Maine Connection or call the Office for Family Independence at 1-855-797-4357.
- Rent, heat, or lights: Apply at your town or city office for General Assistance. If you cannot reach that office, call 1-800-442-6003.
Quick help box
- Fastest cash path: Ask OFI to screen the child for a child-only TANF case and Emergency Assistance.
- Fastest kinship support: Call the statewide AFFM Kinship Program at 207-827-2331.
- If DHHS has custody: Call the child’s caseworker. Say you are a relative and want to be assessed for placement.
- No computer: Maine accepts benefit applications by phone, mail, fax, email, and in person.
- School problem: Put your request to the superintendent in writing. Keep a copy.
| Your situation | Start here | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Child moved in with you outside DHHS | Office for Family Independence | Child-only TANF, MaineCare, SNAP, and Emergency Assistance screening |
| Child is in DHHS custody | Caseworker and A Family for ME | Kinship placement, board payments, and resource-home steps |
| You need school or medical authority | Parent, school, doctor, court, or legal aid | Written releases, power of attorney, surrogate consent, or minor guardianship |
| You are short on rent, heat, or lights | Local municipal office | General Assistance and proof of the emergency |
| You need emotional support or help with agencies | AFFM Kinship Program | Kinship navigation, support groups, and next-step planning |
Contents
- What help looks like
- Who may qualify
- Cash and TANF
- Kinship payments
- Legal authority
- Health and child care
- Housing and support
- Start without wasting time
- Problems and backup plans
What help looks like in Maine
Start by naming the track. A grandparent raising a child in Maine may be in an informal family arrangement, a court guardianship, or a child welfare kinship placement. These are not the same. The right path affects cash help, school authority, medical consent, and whether foster-style payments may be possible.
If you want the broader senior benefit picture, use our Maine benefits guide for programs outside this child-focused page.
| Track | What it can help with | Main limit |
|---|---|---|
| Informal caregiving | Daily care, benefit applications for the child, school requests | Some schools, doctors, and landlords may want stronger proof |
| Parent-signed authority | School, medical, and daily care help when the parent cooperates | A Maine power of attorney cannot last more than 12 months |
| Minor guardianship | Stronger legal authority for school, medical care, and daily decisions | Requires a court process and notice to parents |
| DHHS kinship placement | Child welfare placement, case plan, possible board payments, training | The child must be in DHHS custody or placed through child welfare |
| Permanency guardianship | Longer child welfare permanency and possible subsidy | The subsidy is not a general grandparent benefit |
Who may qualify
Think about the child first. If the child lives with you in Maine and you are doing daily parent-type care, the child may qualify for help even if your own Social Security, pension, or retirement income is too high for adult cash aid.
- Child-only help: A child may be able to receive TANF, MaineCare, SNAP household help, SUN Bucks, school meals, or other child benefits.
- Kinship or foster-type support: This usually requires a DHHS case or a formal child welfare placement.
- Legal authority: You may need a parent release, power of attorney, or court order if the parent is unavailable, the arrangement will last, or offices keep saying no.
- Older caregiver help: Some support may come through the aging network if you are an older relative caring for a minor. Our Area Agencies guide can help you find the right regional starting point.
Reality check: A grandparent does not become a foster parent just because a child moves in. If DHHS did not place the child with you, start with child-only benefits and legal paperwork first.
Cash and TANF
Ask for child-only TANF by name. Maine’s Maine TANF program can pay a monthly cash grant for a child living with a caregiving relative. In a child-only case, the case is focused on the child. That can matter when the grandparent has retirement income.
Apply through OFI. You can use the online portal, call 1-855-797-4357, use OFI forms, fax paperwork to 207-778-8429, email Farmington.DHHS@Maine.gov, mail it to OFI in Farmington, or go to a district office. Our Maine portals guide explains how to use the online path without losing track of notices.
| Child-only case size | FFY 2026 maximum monthly TANF grant | What to remember |
|---|---|---|
| 1 child | $260 | Maximum amount, not a guarantee |
| 2 children | $495 | Child income can lower the grant |
| 3 children | $730 | Ask who is in the filing unit |
| 4 children | $959 | Keep copies of every notice |
| Each extra child | Add $234 | Use the current TANF chart if amounts change |
Emergency Assistance: Maine also has Emergency Assistance for some families with children under 21, including certain eviction, utility shutoff, disaster loss, essential home system repair, or disability-equipment emergencies. Payments usually go to vendors. Ask OFI to screen you while the child-only case is being opened. For broader crisis steps, use our Maine emergency help guide too.
Phone script for OFI: “I am the grandparent caring for a child in my home. Please screen this as a child-only TANF case if that fits. I also need MaineCare, SNAP, and Emergency Assistance screening. Please tell me exactly who is in the filing unit.”
Kinship payments and DHHS cases
Know the difference before you ask. Maine’s AFFM Kinship Program helps relatives and family-like caregivers with systems navigation, support groups, peer mentoring, legal guides, and benefit questions. Call 207-827-2331 early, even if DHHS is not involved.
Foster-style payments are different. If the child is in DHHS custody and placed with you, ask about kinship placement status, licensing, board payments, and the resource-home process. Maine’s relative placement law gives preference to an adult relative when placement is safe and in the child’s best interest, but you still must pass checks and approval steps.
Maine’s February 2025 OCFS rate update listed daily board rates from $18.50 for unlicensed homes to $78.75 for Level E, with a separate medical rate of $73.50. Rates can change, and the child’s level of care matters. Ask the caseworker what rate applies today and when payments start.
For resource-home questions, A Family for ME lists 1-844-893-6311 as the first contact. Maine also explains the licensing path on the resource parent page.
Phone script for DHHS: “I am the child’s grandparent. I want to be considered for kinship placement. Please tell me what checks, home steps, training, and payment rules apply to my situation. I also need to know who to call if I cannot reach the caseworker.”
Legal authority, school, and medical care
Do not rely only on a verbal agreement. A parent note may help for a short time, but it may not solve every school, doctor, insurance, or housing problem. If the parent can cooperate, a limited power of attorney may help. If the case will last or the parent disagrees, look at Maine’s minor guardianship page.
Maine has a separate Guardianship Subsidy statute for certain permanency guardianship child welfare cases. This is not a general cash benefit for all grandparents. If DHHS is involved, ask about it before final guardianship papers are signed.
| Need | What may help | Practical warning |
|---|---|---|
| Enroll the child in school | Written request to superintendent | Ask for a written denial and appeal rights if told no |
| Keep child in old school | Best-interest request | Use writing, not only a phone call |
| Medical visit today | Parent note, releases, or surrogate consent | Bring proof the child lives with you |
| Longer arrangement | Minor guardianship | Parents usually must get notice |
| DHHS permanency | Permanency guardianship | Subsidy agreement usually must come first |
The PTLA caregiver guide explains school and caregiver options in plain language. Maine’s Maine enrollment page can also help if a district will not explain the process. If the child has unstable housing, McKinney-Vento guidance says school enrollment should be immediate even when normal records are missing.
Phone script for school: “The child is living with me now. I am asking in writing for enrollment, or for the child to stay in the current school if that is best. If you deny this, please give me the written reason and appeal rights.”
Health, food, and child care
Apply even if you think you earn too much. MaineCare has child coverage rules that are higher than many grandparents expect. The current MaineCare children page says children and young adults under 21 may qualify in a family earning about $59,000 for a family of two or $90,000 for a family of four. Children under 19 with serious health conditions may also have a Katie Beckett path.
If the child already has MaineCare, call MaineCare Member Services at 1-800-977-6740 for card, provider, transportation, or coverage questions. For eligibility or applications, call OFI at 1-855-797-4357.
For food, ask OFI about SNAP and school meal links. Maine’s SUN Bucks program is typically $120 per eligible school-age child. Maine says many children are automatic, but manual applications for 2026 are due by August 15, 2026. If you have not received a letter by mid-June and think the child qualifies, ask OFI what to do next.
Working grandparents and some retired legal guardians may also ask about the Child Care program. Maine says families up to 125% of state median income may be eligible, approved providers can include relatives over age 18, and copays are on a sliding scale from 1% to 10% of gross weekly income. Families under 30% of state median income do not have a copay.
Reality check: Benefit systems may still ask whose food is bought and cooked together, where the child sleeps, what income the child receives, and whether another adult is claiming the child. Answer clearly and keep notes.
Housing and support
Use local Maine systems. Maine does not have a special statewide housing voucher just for grandparents raising grandchildren. The closest urgent options are local General Assistance, Emergency Assistance through OFI, and referrals through housing offices. Maine’s General Assistance page says help may cover basic needs such as rent, utilities, food, fuel, and medical basics when the local rules are met.
If you live in senior housing, subsidized housing, or a voucher unit, report the child moving in as soon as possible. Waiting can create lease, occupancy, or rent problems. Our Maine housing help guide covers more housing routes for older adults. You can also call MaineHousing contacts at 1-800-452-4668.
For caregiver stress, respite questions, and older relative support, Maine’s Care Partner Supports can connect you with the aging network. For younger children, Help Me Grow can help with development and service navigation. Call 211, option 5, or 1-833-714-7969.
Phone script for town help: “A child is now living with me, and I have an urgent rent, heat, utility, or food problem. I need to apply for General Assistance today. Please tell me what proof to bring and when I will receive a written decision.”
How to start without wasting time
- Make the child safe. Use 911 or OCFS if there is danger, abuse, or neglect.
- Open the child benefit path. Ask OFI for child-only TANF, MaineCare, SNAP, SUN Bucks, and Emergency Assistance screening.
- Write down the caregiving story. Note when the child moved in, why, where the parent is, and whether DHHS or a court is involved.
- Call AFFM. Ask the Kinship Program which track fits your case.
- Put school requests in writing. Keep a copy and the date.
- Ask the doctor what proof they need. Bring every paper you have.
- If the child is in DHHS custody, work the caseworker path. Ask about kinship placement, licensing, and board payments.
- Use legal help early. If authority is the main issue, contact legal aid before a crisis deadline.
Documents grandparents need
Apply first, then keep building the folder. Do not wait until every paper is perfect. Start the case and keep adding proof.
- Your photo ID
- The child’s birth certificate, if available
- The child’s Social Security number, if available
- Proof the child lives with you, such as school mail, a landlord note, shelter paperwork, or medical papers
- Any court order, DHHS paper, police report, or safety plan
- Parent note, school release, medical release, or power of attorney, if you have one
- Rent, lease, mortgage, shutoff, fuel, or eviction papers
- Medicine list, doctor names, insurance cards, and school health records
- Proof of income for the child, such as child support or Social Security
- Benefit notices and envelopes, with dates saved
If you need a Maine birth record, start with Maine vital records instead of paying a third-party site first.
Denied, delayed, or overwhelmed
- Ask for a written reason. A phone denial is hard to fix. Ask for the notice, rule, and appeal steps.
- Check the filing unit. If TANF looks wrong, ask who OFI counted in the case.
- Keep appeal deadlines. Benefit notices and school denials may have time limits.
- Go up one level. If a child welfare case stalls, ask for the supervisor.
- Use legal help. For older caregivers age 60 and up, Legal Services for Elders may be a good starting point.
- Call 211 Maine. Ask for food, clothing, transportation, counseling, diapers, school supplies, or local charity help near your town.
- Use a broader guide. Our grandparent programs guide can help compare national and state paths.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Waiting for guardianship before applying for the child’s benefits
- Assuming kinship care always means foster care payments
- Letting a school deny you only by phone
- Forgetting to report the child to a housing authority, landlord, or voucher program
- Signing permanency guardianship papers without asking about subsidy rules first
- Throwing away envelopes that show when a notice arrived
- Using a paid form site before checking official Maine forms
Local resources
- Office for Family Independence: Call 1-855-797-4357 for TANF, MaineCare, SNAP, SUN Bucks, Emergency Assistance, and eligibility questions.
- AFFM Kinship Program: Call 207-827-2331 for kinship navigation and support.
- A Family for ME: Call 1-844-893-6311 for foster or resource-home questions.
- Maine child welfare: Call 1-800-452-1999 to report abuse or neglect.
- General Assistance: Apply at your town or city office. If you cannot reach it, call 1-800-442-6003.
- MaineCare Member Services: Call 1-800-977-6740 for coverage, cards, providers, and transportation.
- MaineHousing: Call 1-800-452-4668 for housing contacts and referrals.
- Help Me Grow Maine: Call 211, option 5, or 1-833-714-7969.
Diverse communities
Seniors with disabilities
If you have a disability, ask for help using forms, calls, interviews, notices, or office visits. Maine DHHS offers accommodations and interpreter help through DHHS language access. If the child has a disability, ask MaineCare about Katie Beckett and medically necessary services.
Immigrant and refugee seniors
Ask for an interpreter before you try to explain the whole case. For school issues, children in Maine can have public school rights even when family immigration issues are complicated. Keep school and benefit questions separate when possible.
Tribal families
If the child is part of a tribal family, tell DHHS and your lawyer right away. Tribal status can affect notice, placement, and permanency steps. Do not wait until a hearing date to raise it.
Rural caregivers
Phone, mail, fax, and in-person filing matter in rural Maine. If internet service is weak, do not wait on the portal. Call OFI, use paper forms, or visit a district office when you can.
Resumen en espanol
En Maine no hay un solo cheque estatal para todos los abuelos que cuidan a sus nietos. La ayuda mas comun es una combinacion de TANF para el nino, MaineCare, SNAP, ayuda local para renta o servicios, apoyo de parentesco y documentos para escuela o medico.
Si el nino esta en un caso de DHHS, diga de inmediato que usted es familiar y quiere ser considerado para cuidado de parentesco. Si necesita autoridad legal por mas tiempo, revise la tutela de menor y hable con ayuda legal antes de firmar papeles finales.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get child-only TANF if I live on Social Security?
Often, yes. A child-only case focuses on the child, not on you as a parent applicant. OFI still reviews the household and any income the child receives. Ask the worker to explain who is in the filing unit.
Can I get foster payments if DHHS is not involved?
Usually no. Foster-style board payments usually require a DHHS custody case or child welfare placement. If the child moved in through a private family arrangement, start with child-only TANF, MaineCare, SNAP, school steps, and legal paperwork.
Can I enroll my grandchild in school without guardianship?
Sometimes. Put the request in writing to the superintendent. Ask for enrollment in your district, or ask that the child stay in the old district if that is best. If denied, ask for the written reason and appeal rights.
Can I take my grandchild to the doctor without custody papers?
Sometimes. Maine has surrogate consent rules for some caregiving relatives, but offices may still ask for proof. Bring your ID, proof the child lives with you, and any parent note, release, court paper, or DHHS paper.
Does Maine have a guardianship subsidy for grandparents?
Yes, but not for every grandparent. Maine’s guardianship subsidy is for certain permanency guardianship child welfare cases. If DHHS is involved, ask about it before the guardianship order is final.
What should I do first if rent or lights are about to be shut off?
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 office, call 1-800-442-6003.
About This Guide
This guide uses official federal, state, local, 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 May 27, 2026, next review August 27, 2026.
Corrections: Please note that despite our careful verification process, errors may still occur. Email info@grantsforseniors.org with corrections and we will 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, and availability can change. Readers should confirm current details directly with the official program before acting.
Last updated: May 27, 2026. Next review: August 27, 2026.
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