Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in New York: Kinship Care, TANF, and Support

Last updated: April 7, 2026

Bottom line: New York does not have one simple cash program just for grandparents raising grandchildren. What help you can get depends mostly on how the child came to live with you: informal care, a Family Court order, a child welfare placement, or foster care.

For many older adults, the fastest real help is a child-only Temporary Assistance case for a non-parent caregiver, plus SNAP, Medicaid or Child Health Plus, and help from the New York State Kinship Navigator. If child welfare is already involved, ask before you agree to anything whether New York is treating the placement as foster care, direct placement, or simple informal caregiving, because that answer changes money, legal rights, and future KinGAP eligibility.

Emergency help now

• Ask for Emergency Assistance today if you have no food, an eviction notice, a shutoff notice, no heat, or nowhere safe for the child to stay. OTDA says emergency decisions must be made in writing the same day you apply.
• Call the New York State Kinship Navigator at 1-877-454-6463 for county-specific help, legal fact sheets, and local kinship resources through the statewide kinship navigator program.
• If ACS or county DSS is involved, ask the caseworker right away: “Is this foster care, direct placement, or something informal?” The state kinship booklet makes clear that this first choice can affect foster payments, adoption help, and KinGAP later.

Best first steps after a grandparent takes in a child

Start by pinning down the legal path. In New York, there is no single “grandparents raising grandchildren” program. The help changes based on whether the child is with you informally, by a Family Court order, through a direct placement in an abuse or neglect case, or in foster care under a county department of social services or New York City ACS, as explained in the state’s kinship care guide.

• File for child-only help right away: New York calls this a non-parent caregiver or child-only Temporary Assistance case. The OTDA program book says grandparents can apply for a child living with them even if the child is not their biological or adopted child.
• Get school and doctor authority in writing: a court order is best, but a parent can also use New York’s designation of a person in parental relation for up to six months in some cases.
• Save every paper: placement notices, school letters, rent bills, court papers, Medicaid cards, birth certificates, and any letter from ACS, DSS, or HRA.
• Ask for county-specific help: the NYS Kinship Navigator can connect you to local support groups, legal resources, respite options, and child-only grant guidance.

What this help actually looks like in New York

The most important thing to know: New York does not offer one automatic statewide payment for every grandparent caregiver. Instead, older adults usually fit into one of four lanes:

New York office or system	What it handles	How to reach it
County DSS / Local Department of Social Services outside NYC	Child-only cash help, SNAP, emergency assistance, foster care, and most child welfare matters outside the five boroughs	Official county DSS finder or 1-800-342-3009
NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA)	Cash assistance, SNAP, and many document uploads in New York City	ACCESS HRA or 311
NYC Administration for Children’s Services (ACS)	Child welfare, kinship foster care, and New York City KinGAP	ACS kinship guardianship page
NY State of Health / DOH	Children’s Medicaid, Child Health Plus, enrollment assistors, and marketplace appeals	1-855-355-5777
NYS Kinship Navigator	Statewide kinship information, legal fact sheets, referrals, and local support resources	NYS Kinship Navigator or 1-877-454-6463
Family Court / NY CourtHelp	Custody and guardianship petitions, DIY forms, and court help	NY CourtHelp Family Court forms

Quick facts

• Best immediate takeaway: If the child is not in foster care, start with a child-only non-parent caregiver grant, not a foster payment request.
• Major rule: The grandparent’s income usually is not counted when New York budgets a child-only Temporary Assistance case, unless the grandparent is also applying for help.
• Realistic obstacle: Some workers and printed booklets still mention an old 45-day Safety Net rule, but OTDA ended that wait effective October 1, 2022.
• Useful fact: A New York school may not require a custody or guardianship order just to enroll a child.
• Best next step: Ask for a written notice, budget sheet, or case number every time you apply, upload papers, or are told “come back later.”

Who qualifies

You may qualify for help in New York if the child really lives with you and you are the day-to-day caregiver. That can include a grandparent, great-grandparent, aunt, uncle, adult sibling, or another kinship caregiver. The OTDA non-parent caregiver rules specifically discuss grandparents and other adults caring for children who are not their own.

You do not always need legal custody first. For a child-only grant, New York can help a non-parent caregiver even without a final custody order. But the documents you need, your ability to consent for school or health care, and your long-term options are stronger if you later get custody or guardianship through court or have the parent sign a valid person-in-parental-relation designation.

Legal custody vs kinship care vs informal caregiving

Path	What it means in New York	Money	Main warning
Informal caregiving	The child lives with you, but there is no court order and no foster care case	Usually child-only TA, SNAP, Medicaid/Child Health Plus, WIC, and tax credits	You may have trouble with school or medical decisions unless you get papers signed
Direct placement (N-docket custody)	Family Court places the child with you during an abuse or neglect case under Article 10, as described in the state kinship booklet	No foster board payment; usually child-only TA instead	This is not the same as foster care
Legal custody or guardianship	You get a court order under Family Court or Surrogate’s Court	Usually child-only TA, not foster payments	If the child never entered foster care with you, you usually cannot later get KinGAP
Kinship foster care	The child is in foster care and you are approved or certified as the foster parent	Foster care board payment, clothing allowance, and other supports	You must work with DSS or ACS and follow foster care rules
Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP)	A long-term subsidy after kinship foster care if New York approves the KinGAP application first	Payment usually comparable to the foster care rate; child usually keeps Medicaid	If the guardianship order is signed before the KinGAP agreement is complete, you can lose KinGAP

Financial help for grandparents raising grandchildren

For most older adults, the first money question is simple: Is this a child-only grant case, or is this foster care? In New York, those are very different.

Child-only TANF for grandparents raising grandchildren

• What it is: New York’s child-only cash help is usually called a non-parent caregiver Temporary Assistance case. Nationally, people often call this child-only TANF.
• Who can get it or use it: A grandparent or other caregiver with a child living in the home who is not their biological or adopted child.
• How it helps: It gives a cash grant for the child, and the state kinship guide says this option generally includes Medicaid for the child.
• How to apply or use it: Outside NYC, apply through your county DSS. In NYC, use ACCESS HRA and call 311 if you need direction.
• What to gather or know first: New York still asks you to fill out the whole application, but OTDA says your income and resources are not counted for the child’s grant unless you are also applying for yourself. If child support would put you or the child at risk, tell the worker right away and ask about good cause.

Important: New York does not publish a simple consumer chart showing one exact statewide child-only grant amount for grandparents. The real amount depends on how the district budgets the child’s case, shelter costs, and local rules. Ask for a written budget sheet. To show how modest public assistance can be, an OTDA child poverty report notes that a New York City family of three at the maximum public assistance level could receive $789 a month, including a $400 shelter allowance, and families outside NYC or without shelter help get less.

Can grandparents get foster care payments?

• What it is: Foster care payments are available only when the child is actually in foster care and you become the approved or certified foster parent.
• Who can get it or use it: Kin who take children through DSS or ACS foster care, not just through informal family arrangements.
• How it helps: The state kinship booklet says foster care is the one option that pays a foster care board rate, clothing allowance, and certain extras. The district must send the rate notice within 30 days of placement, and approved payments are retroactive to the date of placement.
• How to apply or use it: Tell the caseworker immediately that you want to be considered for kinship foster care. Outside NYC that may run through your county DSS or a voluntary agency under contract; in NYC it runs through ACS and its foster care system.
• What to gather or know first: Be ready for background checks, home inspection, health statements, and training. If the child is already in foster care elsewhere, move fast. The state booklet says certain relatives may be able to ask the court to become the foster parent if the time limits are met.

Guardianship assistance for older caregivers

• What it is: New York has two very different guardianship paths: plain court guardianship, and KinGAP after kinship foster care.
• Who can get it or use it: Any caregiver may seek custody or guardianship through court, but only eligible kinship foster parents can get KinGAP.
• How it helps: Court guardianship gives stronger authority over school, health care, and daily decisions. KinGAP adds an ongoing payment and Medicaid in many cases.
• How to apply or use it: Use NY CourtHelp DIY Family Court forms for custody matters and NY CourtHelp’s guardianship guidance to understand which court handles your case.
• What to gather or know first: If the child never entered foster care with you, a plain guardianship order usually will not create KinGAP later. That is one of the biggest mistakes kinship families make.

Kinship care payments and kinship navigator help in this state

• What it is: The New York State Kinship Navigator is the main statewide help hub for kinship caregivers.
• Who can get it or use it: Informal caregivers, legal guardians, custodians, and kinship foster parents across New York’s 62 counties.
• How it helps: OTDA’s own program book says New York’s kinship programs may offer counseling, legal information, case management, support groups, budgeting help, respite, housing help, education advocacy, and child-only payment information.
• How to apply or use it: Call 1-877-454-6463 or use the statewide kinship navigator website.
• What to gather or know first: Have the child’s age, your county, any open ACS or DSS case, and the kind of problem you need solved first, such as cash help, school enrollment, custody, or respite.

KinGAP in plain English

• What it is: KinGAP is New York’s subsidy for some relative foster parents who become permanent guardians instead of adopting.
• Who can get it or use it: The state kinship booklet says you must have been the child’s fully approved or certified foster parent for at least six consecutive months, the first permanency hearing must have happened, and New York must decide that return home and adoption are not appropriate options.
• How it helps: Payment is usually comparable to the foster care payment, though the state booklet says some counties may reduce it by up to 25 percent based on income. In most cases, the child keeps Medicaid.
• How to apply or use it: File the KinGAP application before you get the guardianship order, then sign the KinGAP agreement with DSS or ACS.
• What to gather or know first: If you want KinGAP beyond age 18, the state booklet says you must petition for continuation of guardianship before the youth’s 18th birthday, and New York requires annual status certifications.

School enrollment and medical consent issues

Do not assume you need final custody papers before school starts. New York’s residency rule says a district must enroll the child and start attendance on the next school day, or as soon as practicable, then review documents within three business days. A district may ask for proof that you and the child live in the district, but it may not require a judicial custody order or guardianship order as a condition of enrollment.

• What to bring: lease, deed, landlord letter, utility bill, pay stub, ID, social services document, or other papers listed in the state residency regulation.
• What schools cannot demand at enrollment: the child’s Social Security card or information showing immigration status, according to the same New York regulation.
• Medical and school consent bridge: if a parent is available, use New York’s designation of a person in parental relation. It can last up to six months and may be shown to a school, health care provider, or health plan.
• Long-term fix: if the child will likely stay with you, use Family Court forms to seek custody or guardianship so you are not redoing emergency paperwork over and over.

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

Get the child insured first; sort out the rest after. New York says children under 19 who live in the state may qualify for Children’s Medicaid or Child Health Plus. Enrollment for Medicaid and Child Health Plus is available year-round through NY State of Health.

As of applications received on or after February 17, 2026, the official Child Health Plus income chart says coverage is free below 2.2 times the poverty level, and then costs $15, $30, $45, or $60 per child per month, capped at three children. Because kinship household rules can get tricky, older adults should use the official chart and call 1-855-355-5777 for help.

• What it is: Medicaid, Child Health Plus, or foster-care-related coverage for the child.
• Who can get it or use it: Nearly all New York children have a coverage path, even if the grandparent has a fixed income.
• How it helps: doctor visits, prescriptions, dental, vision, mental health, hospital care, and managed care plan access.
• How to apply or use it: apply through NY State of Health or your local Medicaid office. If you already filed a child-only grant, ask whether the child’s Medicaid is being opened with that case.
• What to gather or know first: The New York Medicaid application page says child Medicaid decisions should generally be made within 30 days, and other Medicaid cases within 45 days. If you need a helper, New York also has authorized representative forms.

Food help and child benefits for kinship families

Apply for food help even if you think you earn “too much.” New York’s SNAP page says most households no longer face a savings test, and the only sure way to know is to apply. For October 1, 2025 standards, the gross monthly income limit is $4,442 for a household of three and $5,358 for a household of four.

• SNAP: Apply through your local DSS, myBenefits, or ACCESS HRA in NYC.
• WIC for younger children: New York’s WIC office finder says many offices offer phone and virtual service, and you can also call the Growing Up Healthy Hotline at 1-800-522-5006.
• Empire State Child Credit: If you can claim the child on your New York return, the official Empire State Child Credit page says many families filing in 2026 for tax year 2025 can get up to $1,000 per child under age 4 or $330 per child ages 4 to 16. OTDA also says the credit does not count against Medicaid, SNAP, cash assistance, or housing assistance.
• Child support: If safe, use New York’s child support system to seek support from a parent. If it is not safe, raise that with the worker and ask for a good-cause review.

Housing help for seniors raising grandchildren

There is no special statewide housing voucher just for grandparents raising grandchildren. In New York, the first housing help usually comes through Emergency Assistance under Temporary Assistance, not a separate kinship housing program.

• What it is: emergency help with shelter arrears, utility arrears, temporary housing, or other urgent housing needs.
• Who can get it or use it: families with urgent housing problems, including kinship caregivers.
• How it helps: OTDA says emergency help can cover rent arrears, utilities, fuel, domestic violence shelter costs, and temporary hotel or motel costs in some cases.
• How to apply or use it: contact your local DSS or, in NYC, ACCESS HRA and say clearly: “This is an emergency.”
• What to gather or know first: bring eviction papers, shutoff notices, lease, rent ledger, utility bills, and proof the child is living with you.

Support groups and respite help for older caregivers

Many seniors need practical backup, not just a pamphlet. New York’s kinship program materials say local kinship programs may offer support groups, counseling, respite, case management, legal information, education advocacy, housing help, and budgeting help. The easiest statewide doorway is still the NYS Kinship Navigator.

What documents grandparents need

Gather what you have now. Do not wait for a “perfect” file. New York agencies can often start the case and ask for missing proofs later.

• ☐ Your photo ID and proof of address
• ☐ The child’s birth certificate, hospital record, passport, or other proof of age allowed by New York school rules
• ☐ Any proof of relationship, if available
• ☐ Court papers, ACS or DSS notices, or placement letters
• ☐ The parent’s signed person-in-parental-relation designation, if you can get it
• ☐ Rent, mortgage, utility, and child care bills
• ☐ The child’s Social Security number and any benefit letters, if available
• ☐ School records, immunization records, doctor contact list, and current medicines
• ☐ A notebook with every call date, worker name, and case number

How grandparents can apply for benefits in this state

• File the application fast: OTDA says you may turn in the Temporary Assistance application the same day you get it.
• Say the right words: ask for a child-only or non-parent caregiver case if the child is not in foster care.
• If you are outside NYC: use your county DSS, myBenefits, and, if your county participates, NYDocSubmit for later document uploads.
• If you are in NYC: use ACCESS HRA for HRA benefits and keep ACS child welfare questions separate.
• Ask for emergency processing: if there is no food, heat, or safe housing, say so on day one.
• Keep proof of filing: screenshot, receipt, confirmation email, or stamped first page.
• Do not let a portal glitch stop the case: OTDA says NYDocSubmit is not for emergencies or initial applications, so file the application through the correct office first.

Application or proof checklist

• ☐ I know whether this is informal care, direct placement, custody/guardianship, or foster care
• ☐ I know which office handles my case: county DSS, HRA, ACS, NY State of Health, or Family Court
• ☐ I asked for the case number and worker name
• ☐ I asked whether the child is being budgeted separately from my own income
• ☐ I asked whether the child’s Medicaid is opening with the case
• ☐ I asked for a written notice or budget sheet
• ☐ I saved copies of everything I filed

Reality checks

• Delay warning: Older booklets still mention a 45-day Safety Net wait. New York later changed that rule, so if you are told to wait that long, point to OTDA’s 2022 policy change and ask for a supervisor.
• Money warning: Child-only help is often much smaller than people expect. It is usually less than foster care.
• Paperwork warning: Schools, doctors, and insurers may each want a different paper. A court order solves more problems than a verbal family agreement.
• KinGAP warning: If you rush into guardianship before New York approves the KinGAP case and signs the agreement, you can lose the subsidy.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Waiting weeks before filing for child-only help
• Assuming an informal family arrangement qualifies for foster care money
• Letting a school tell you that custody papers are always required
• Not telling the worker about a safety reason to avoid child support cooperation
• Mixing up ACS and HRA in New York City
• Failing to update your address, which can cause missed renewal notices from NY State of Health or your local DSS

Best options by need

• I need cash fast: child-only TA and, if needed, Emergency Assistance.
• I need stronger legal authority: Family Court custody or guardianship forms.
• I need health coverage now: NY State of Health enrollment or a Medicaid opening through the TA case.
• I need the best chance at a long-term subsidy: if child welfare is involved, ask about kinship foster care and later KinGAP.
• I need local support and respite: NYS Kinship Navigator.

What to do if denied, delayed, or blocked

• Ask for the denial in writing. No written notice usually means no clear appeal record.
• Ask for a supervisor. Say: “Please explain whether this is a child-only non-parent caregiver case and show me the budget.”
• For TA, SNAP, or LDSS/HRA Medicaid problems: request a fair hearing through OTDA at 1-800-342-3334. The OTDA contact page also lists 1-800-205-0110 for New York City emergency fair hearings only.
• For NY State of Health problems: call 1-855-355-5777 and ask for an appeal.
• If the school refuses enrollment: ask for the district’s written residency determination and review steps. New York requires that written notice, under the state residency rule.
• If a portal fails: file by phone, mail, fax, or in person, and save proof that you tried online first.

Plan B / backup options

• Apply for SNAP even if the child-only cash grant is small
• Use WIC if the child is under five
• Check the Empire State Child Credit if you can claim the child
• Ask the child’s parent to sign the person-in-parental-relation form while you work on custody
• Use NYS Kinship Navigator legal fact sheets to prepare for school, court, and benefit meetings

Local New York resources

• Statewide: New York State Kinship Navigator, 1-877-454-6463
• County offices outside NYC: Local Departments of Social Services directory
• New York City: ACS kinship guardianship and KinGAP and ACCESS HRA
• Court help: NY CourtHelp DIY Family Court forms
• Upstate and rural legal help: Rural Law Center’s kinship care program
• General kinship advocacy and permanency resources: Every Family Forward kinship resources

Diverse communities

Seniors with disabilities

If you need phone-based help, large-print support, or another accommodation, use the OTDA contact page for reasonable accommodation information and the NY State of Health accessibility page for phone and TTY help.

Immigrant and refugee seniors

New York school districts cannot require a Social Security card or immigration-status information as a condition of enrollment. NY State of Health also offers free language support, and school districts must consider several forms of foreign and government-issued documents when standard papers are missing.

Rural seniors with limited access

Use the Kinship Navigator phone line if you cannot travel, and check whether your county accepts papers through NYDocSubmit. Rural caregivers may also find region-specific legal help through the Rural Law Center kinship program.

Frequently asked questions

Can a grandparent in New York get child-only TANF without legal custody?

Often, yes. The OTDA non-parent caregiver rules say a grandparent can apply for Temporary Assistance on behalf of a child living with them even when the child is not their biological or adopted child. You still need to show that the child lives with you and that you are caring for the child, but a final custody order is not always required to start the benefits case.

Will my Social Security retirement or pension block the child-only grant?

Usually not by itself. OTDA says that in a non-parent caregiver case, the caregiver’s income and resources are generally not counted when determining the child’s grant unless the caregiver is also applying. That is why many low-income or fixed-income grandparents who are over income for their own benefits can still qualify for child-only help for the child.

Can grandparents get foster care payments in New York?

Yes, but only when the child is actually in foster care and the grandparent becomes an approved or certified foster parent. The state kinship booklet says foster care is the only option that includes foster board payments and a clothing allowance. If the child just moved in informally, or you only have a custody order, that is usually a child-only grant case instead.

What is KinGAP in New York?

KinGAP is the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program. It is not for every grandparent caregiver. It is mainly for eligible kinship foster parents who have already cared for the child in foster care long enough to qualify. The state booklet says the application and KinGAP agreement must be completed before the guardianship order is granted, which is why legal timing matters so much.

Can a New York school refuse to enroll my grandchild because I do not have guardianship papers?

No, not just for that reason. New York’s school residency rule says a district may not require a judicial custody order or guardianship order as a condition of enrollment. The district can ask for proof that the child lives in the district with you, but it must consider different kinds of proof and enroll first while it reviews the papers.

How can I take my grandchild to the doctor if the parents are unavailable?

If you do not yet have custody or guardianship, ask whether the parent can sign New York’s designation of a person in parental relation. That form can authorize school and health decisions for up to six months in some cases. If the child will likely stay with you longer, court custody or guardianship is usually the stronger long-term fix.

How are New York City rules different from the rest of the state?

Outside the five boroughs, the county local department of social services often handles both child welfare and cash help. In New York City, those jobs are split: ACS handles child welfare, foster care, and KinGAP, while HRA handles cash assistance, SNAP, and much of the benefits paperwork.

What if my New York application is delayed or denied?

Ask for the written notice, the budget sheet, and the worker’s supervisor first. If the problem is TA, SNAP, or an LDSS/HRA Medicaid action, request a fair hearing through OTDA at 1-800-342-3334, listed on the official OTDA contact page. If the issue is NY State of Health coverage, call 1-855-355-5777 and ask for an appeal.

Resumen en español

En Nueva York, no existe un solo programa estatal de dinero para todos los abuelos que crían nietos. La ayuda depende de si el menor vive con usted de manera informal, por una orden de la corte, por una colocación de bienestar infantil, o dentro del sistema de foster care. Para muchas familias, el paso más rápido es pedir un caso de Temporary Assistance para cuidador no padre, además de SNAP y cobertura médica.

Si vive fuera de la ciudad de Nueva York, use el directorio oficial de DSS del condado. En la ciudad de Nueva York, use ACCESS HRA para beneficios y revise por separado los asuntos de bienestar infantil con ACS. Para ayuda estatal específica sobre crianza por parientes, llame al NYS Kinship Navigator al 1-877-454-6463. Para seguro médico infantil, comuníquese con NY State of Health al 1-855-355-5777, donde hay ayuda gratuita en otros idiomas. Si la escuela le dice que necesita custodia final para inscribir al menor, revise la regla estatal de residencia escolar, porque la escuela no puede exigir una orden judicial de custodia como condición de inscripción.

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, dollar amounts, and local availability can change. Always confirm current details directly with the official New York program, office, court, school district, or health plan before acting.