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Last updated: 15 September 2026
Grandparents raising grandchildren in New Hampshire may be able to use several kinds of financial help and benefits, including child-only cash assistance, some DCYF kinship-care payments, food and health benefits, child-care help, tax credits, energy assistance, and local welfare. Each program counts the child, household, and caregiver differently.
Bottom Line
Financial help may be available even without foster-care payments. Start with NH EASY and ask New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to screen the child for FAP cash, SNAP, Medicaid, and Child Care Scholarship. If DCYF placed the child with you, also ask about kinship-care certification for payment.
Need Help Right Now?
If the household has no food, faces a utility shutoff, has no safe place to stay, or cannot meet another basic need, call 211 New Hampshire by dialing 211 or 1-866-444-4211. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911. For child abuse or neglect concerns, use the state’s child abuse reporting page.
Start Here: Three Financial-Benefit Actions
- Apply for benefits. Use NH EASY for cash assistance, SNAP, Medicaid, and child-care screening. Call DHHS at 1-844-275-3447 if you need application help.
- Check the DCYF payment path. If DCYF placed the child with you, ask about a kinship home permit or license and certification for payment.
- Use a navigator. A kinship navigator can help with referrals. Caregivers age 55 or older can also call ServiceLink at 1-866-634-9412 about respite or supplemental caregiver help.
Quick Reference: Financial Help and Benefits
| Benefit or help | What it can pay for | Key eligibility issue | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child-only FAP cash | General costs of caring for the child | Relative-caregiver case; child’s circumstances and income matter | NH EASY / DHHS |
| Kinship-care payment | Costs of a child placed by DCYF | DCYF placement plus the applicable permit, license, and payment certification process | DCYF caseworker / licensing agency |
| SNAP | Eligible groceries | Household composition, income, expenses, and sometimes resources | NH EASY / DHHS |
| Child Medicaid | Covered health care and prescriptions | Child’s age, household, income, and program rules | NH EASY / DHHS |
| Child Care Scholarship | Part of eligible child-care costs | Financial rules plus an approved need for care, such as work, job search, training, or education | NH EASY / DHHS |
| Federal tax credits | May reduce federal tax or produce a refund when rules are met | Federal relationship, residency, age, income, filing, and competing-claim rules | Federal tax return / IRS |
| Energy and local welfare | Heating, electricity, shelter, and other basic-needs emergencies | Household income and local program rules | Community Action Agency / city or town welfare |
One application does not create eligibility for every program. Ask the agency which people and income sources count for each benefit.
What Has Changed
- Kinship payment rules changed. Rules effective 24 September 2025 let eligible DCYF kinship caregivers seek certification for payment and warn that compensation can affect other benefits.
- Local welfare changed in 2026. A law effective 21 July 2026 requires written local guidelines and added temporary emergency assistance for certain basic-needs and residency situations.
- Child and caregiver benefits are separated. Child-only FAP is not cash for the grandparent personally.
Cash Assistance: Child-Only FAP
New Hampshire’s Family Assistance Program (FAP) is a key cash-help route. State materials describe FAP for relatives or court-appointed guardians caring for children. In a child-only relative-caregiver case, the cash assistance is for the child’s case, not the grandparent personally.
The state’s BFA program guide describes FAP for relatives or court-appointed guardians. A state relative caregiver guide says the caregiver’s income does not count in this child-only FAP setup, while the child’s own income can matter.
The state TANF state plan says FAP has no mandatory work requirement. Different rules can apply if the caregiver asks to be included for their own cash assistance.
What to ask DHHS
- “Please screen this as a child-only relative-caregiver FAP case.”
- Ask which income belongs to the child’s case.
- Ask how child support will affect the case and whether a good-cause exception is available if pursuing support could create harm.
- Ask for the amount and next reporting rule in writing.
Reality check: Do not rely on an old payment chart. Ask DHHS for the current amount for the child’s case.
Kinship Care Payments for DCYF Placements
A different financial path can apply when DCYF places the child with a grandparent or other kinship caregiver. Current kinship care home rules include permits, licenses, and a process to seek certification for payment.
This is not child-only FAP and is not automatic for informal caregivers. It is tied to a DCYF placement and the applicable kinship-home process, including required payment paperwork.
The rule warns that compensation may affect public benefits. Ask DCYF how the payment is classified, then ask DHHS how it may affect FAP, SNAP, Medicaid, or other assistance.
Ask before changing the placement
- Is the child formally placed with me by DCYF?
- Am I applying for a permit, license, or both?
- Can I seek certification for payment now?
- What payment forms and home-study steps remain?
For the broader financial picture for grandfamilies, see the GFS national grandfamily benefits guide.
Adoption Assistance and Permanency Help
Do not assume guardianship automatically creates a monthly subsidy. If DCYF is involved, ask about the financial effect before guardianship or adoption is finalized.
New Hampshire’s DCYF adoption guide says some families adopting children with special needs may qualify for adoption assistance, including approved expenses, ongoing assistance, or medical help.
Reality check: Adoption assistance is not a general payment for all grandparents who adopt. A private family adoption and a DCYF adoption-assistance case are not the same.
Food Benefits: SNAP and Other Food Help
SNAP can reduce grocery costs. New Hampshire’s SNAP information sheet says eligibility and benefit amounts can depend on household size, income, expenses, and sometimes resources.
SNAP does not use the same income rules as child-only FAP. Tell DHHS who lives with you, who buys and prepares food together, and each person’s income. Grandparents age 60 or older can also see GFS SNAP for older adults.
If food is needed now, 211 can locate food pantries and other emergency help.
Health Coverage: Medicaid for the Child
Grandchildren may qualify for free or low-cost health coverage through New Hampshire Medicaid or CHIP. The state’s health coverage application directs families to DHHS and NH EASY.
Tell DHHS that the child lives with a grandparent or relative caregiver and ask what proof is needed. The grandparent’s own Medicare or Medicaid status does not by itself decide the child’s eligibility.
Child-Care Help: New Hampshire Child Care Scholarship
New Hampshire Child Care Scholarship can help eligible families with child-care costs needed for work, job search, training, or education. DHHS applies current financial and activity rules, and a family may still have a cost share or provider charges above the state payment.
Apply through NH EASY. The GFS NH benefits portal guide can help with documents and notices.
Tax Help for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
The main tax help is federal. A qualifying grandchild may support the Child Tax Credit and, for some filers, the Earned Income Tax Credit. IRS relationship, age, residency, Social Security number, income, and filing rules apply.
Guardianship is not the only tax factor. If a parent or another person may also claim the child, get tax help before filing because IRS tie-breaker rules may apply.
Housing, Utility, and Emergency Financial Help
New Hampshire Community Action Agencies handle Fuel and Electric Assistance. Eligibility depends on household and program rules, and electric assistance can reduce qualifying customers’ bills.
For a crisis, also ask city or town welfare. New Hampshire RSA 165 requires written local guidelines, bars direct cash payments, and now includes temporary emergency help for certain basic-needs and residency situations.
Ask for the local guidelines and a written decision. GFS also has NH housing help and NH emergency help for the grandparent’s own household needs.
Legal Help That Can Unlock Benefits
Legal authority can affect school, medical consent, records, and some benefit steps. New Hampshire’s minor guardianship information explains the court process. Ask each benefit program what proof it accepts before waiting for a court order.
603 Legal Aid may help with guardianship or court questions. Its current page lists the Court Service Center at 1-855-212-1234 and 603 Legal Aid at 603-224-3333.
Important: Ask how a legal change affects benefits and DCYF status before signing a permanency agreement.
Where to Apply and Who Handles What
| Need | Best first contact | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| FAP, SNAP, Medicaid, child care | NH EASY / DHHS | Screen the child and household for every benefit that fits |
| DCYF kinship payment | DCYF caseworker | Permit/license status and certification for payment |
| Benefit navigation | Kinship navigator / Family Resource Center | Help with applications, documents, referrals, and local concrete support |
| Older caregiver help | ServiceLink | Family caregiver support, respite, benefits counseling, and local aging resources |
| Rent, food, utilities, emergency basics | 211 / local welfare | Emergency vendor help, shelter, food, energy, and local programs |
Kinship navigation is available through Family Resource Centers; the state Family Resource Center map lists regional centers. ServiceLink also serves grandparents age 55 or older through caregiver-support routes that may include respite or supplemental help, subject to need and funding.
GFS also lists NH aging agencies and New Hampshire senior benefits. Those routes serve the grandparent’s own needs, not the child-only FAP case.
Know Whose Benefit You Are Applying For
This distinction can prevent denials and wrong assumptions. Child-only FAP is a cash-assistance case for the child, and state relative-caregiver material says the caregiver’s income is not counted in that setup. Medicaid may cover the child under child-health rules. SNAP looks at the food household and uses different income and deduction rules. Child Care Scholarship considers the family’s current financial and activity rules.
Other help is based more directly on the grandparent. ServiceLink caregiver support can apply to grandparents and relatives age 55 or older who are raising children. Senior housing, energy, disability, or aging benefits may depend on the grandparent’s own age, income, disability, or housing costs. Federal tax credits are claimed by the taxpayer who meets IRS rules; receiving FAP or SNAP does not by itself decide who can claim the child.
When speaking with an agency, ask: “Is this benefit for the child, the household, or me as the caregiver?” Then ask which income and documents count for that specific program.
Documents to Gather
Do not wait until every document is perfect before asking for help. Start the application, then ask the agency what must be supplied and by what date. Useful documents can include:
- Your photo ID and proof of New Hampshire address.
- The child’s birth certificate or other relationship proof, if available.
- The child’s Social Security number, if one has been issued.
- Any guardianship, custody, DCYF placement, or court papers.
- Proof of income for people the program says must be counted.
- Child support records or information about the absent parent.
- Rent or mortgage statement and utility bills.
- Child-care provider information and work, job-search, training, or school schedule if seeking child-care help.
- Copies of every notice and document you submit.
How to Start Without Wasting Time
- Apply through NH EASY. Start the DHHS programs in one place.
- Name the relationship. Say “grandparent raising a grandchild” and ask about a relative-caregiver FAP case.
- Ask what income counts. FAP, SNAP, Medicaid, child care, and caregiver services use different rules.
- Save written notices. Keep decisions, deadlines, and upload proof.
Reality Checks
- No single payment fits every grandfamily. Informal care, guardianship, DCYF placement, and adoption differ.
- FAP and kinship payments differ. FAP is cash assistance for the child’s case; kinship compensation is tied to a DCYF placement.
- Payments can affect benefits. Current kinship rules warn caregivers to review this interaction.
- SNAP has separate household rules.
- Local and caregiver help can be limited by funding.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming your Social Security or pension automatically makes the child ineligible for FAP.
- Calling every payment a “grant.” FAP is cash assistance; SNAP is a food benefit; Medicaid is health coverage; child-care help is a subsidy; kinship compensation follows DCYF rules.
- Waiting for guardianship before asking DHHS to screen the household.
- Assuming guardianship creates a monthly payment.
- Failing to ask whether a DCYF payment changes another benefit.
- Missing a document or appeal deadline.
- Filing taxes without checking who may claim the child.
Denied, Delayed, or Overwhelmed
If DHHS denies, reduces, or stops a benefit, read the notice immediately. New Hampshire allows an administrative appeal. Ask the worker to name the exact missing item or rule and note the deadline.
For legal help, contact 603 Legal Aid before the deadline. Use 211 and local welfare for urgent food, utility, or shelter needs while the case is pending.
Backup Financial Options
- If the grandparent is 55 or older, ask ServiceLink about caregiver support. GFS NH charity help lists nonprofit backup routes.
- If a parent is retired, disabled, or deceased, ask Social Security about child benefits. In some circumstances, grandchildren can qualify under family benefit rules.
- Screen the grandparent separately for senior or disability benefits when relevant.
Phone Scripts for Benefits and Payments
DHHS benefits screening
“I am a grandparent raising my grandchild. Please screen the child for FAP, SNAP, Medicaid, and Child Care Scholarship. Which income counts, what is missing, and what is the next deadline?”
DCYF kinship payment
“DCYF placed my grandchild with me. Can I seek a kinship permit or license and certification for payment? Which forms remain, and what should I ask DHHS about other benefits?”
Kinship navigator or ServiceLink
“I need help sorting benefits and local financial support. Which applications come first, and are respite, food, transportation, school-cost, or emergency programs available?”
Local welfare or 211
“I am raising my grandchild and have an urgent basic-needs problem. What can help now, what proof do I need, and where do I apply?”
Resumen en español
Los abuelos que crían a sus nietos en New Hampshire pueden solicitar ayuda financiera y beneficios. NH EASY permite pedir FAP para el niño, SNAP, Medicaid y ayuda para cuidado infantil. FAP en un caso de cuidador familiar es ayuda para el caso del niño, no un pago personal para el abuelo.
Si DCYF colocó al niño con usted, pregunte por el proceso de cuidado de parentesco y certificación para pago. También puede haber ayuda con impuestos, energía y servicios locales. Llame a DHHS al 1-844-275-3447, ServiceLink al 1-866-634-9412, o marque 211 para necesidades locales.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get TANF or FAP for my grandchild if I receive Social Security?
Possibly. State relative-caregiver material says the caregiver’s income does not count in this type of child-only FAP case, while the child’s own income can matter. Ask DHHS to screen the case.
Can a grandparent get kinship or foster-care payments in New Hampshire?
Sometimes. If DCYF placed the child with you, current kinship-care rules allow an eligible caregiver to seek certification for payment through the permit or licensing process. Informal care is different.
Does guardianship give me a monthly caregiver payment?
Do not assume it does. Guardianship can provide legal authority, but it is not the same as a DCYF kinship payment or adoption-assistance agreement. Ask about financial effects before finalizing a permanency plan.
Can my grandchild receive SNAP and Medicaid?
They may qualify. SNAP and Medicaid use their own household and income rules. Apply through NH EASY and give DHHS accurate household, income, and expense information.
Can Child Care Scholarship help a grandparent caregiver?
It may. Child Care Scholarship can help eligible families with care needed for work, job search, training, or education. Financial rules apply, and some costs may remain.
Can I claim federal tax credits for my grandchild?
Possibly. A grandchild can be a qualifying child when IRS relationship, age, residency, Social Security number, income, and filing rules are met. Guardianship alone does not decide the tax result.
Do I need legal custody or guardianship before applying for benefits?
Not for every program. Apply and ask what proof the agency accepts for a relative-caregiver case. Guardianship may matter for school, medical, records, and legal authority.
About This Guide
This guide uses official federal, state, local, and other high-trust nonprofit and community sources linked in the article.
Editorial note
This guide is produced under the GFS Editorial Standards using official and other high-trust sources. GFS is not affiliated with a government agency and is not a substitute for official agency guidance. Individual eligibility outcomes cannot be guaranteed.
Corrections
Despite careful verification, errors may occur. Readers may email info@grantsforseniors.org with corrections.
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, funding, and availability can change. Readers should confirm current details directly with the responsible official program before acting.
Last updated: 15 September 2026 · Next review: 15 January 2027
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