Support for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Every now and then I meeting someone my age or older who is raising their grandkids or, in a few cases, their great-grandchildren.

While some have adopted the children, most of the caregiving is less formal with a hit-or-miss social and financial support network. About 100,000 Ohio grandparents are raising their grandchildren, and many more people are considered kinship caregivers: older siblings, cousins and other relatives with full-time responsibility for children whose own parents are unable to care for them.

If you or a friend are in this situation, you may be interested in the Public Children Services Association of Ohio. The website has resources for kingship caregivers. Here a few:

• Kinship Support Program – Established in late December 2020, KSP offers a modest daily stipend to kin caregivers of children who are in county agency custody for up to six months so that they can become licensed foster parents and receive a foster care per diem. Learn more.
• Other cash assistance – Apply at JFS and ask for “Child Only” TANF or Ohio Works First cash assistance. Eligibility is based on the child’s out-of-home status, not the caregiver’s income.
• Medicaid coverage – Eligibility is based on the child’s income. Children not already covered by a health insurance policy are likely eligible for a Medicaid card. This will be VERY valuable in meeting the needs of the child in your care.
• SNAP (Food Stamps) – This benefit is based on your household income and number of people living there.
• Child care subsidy and one-time support – The cost of child care can be one of the biggest barriers for kin. The Kinship Caregiver Program is available through your local children services agency and may provide child care subsidies and other necessities for caregivers, such as cribs.
• Kinship Permanency Incentive Program – Financial supports are available for qualifying permanent kinship families (those with judicial custody, up to 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level). Learn more. Apply at your local children services agency. More than 7,100 children are supported by KPI.
• Grandparent Power of Attorney and Caregiver Affidavit forms – These forms assist grandparent caregivers who have physical custody of their grandchildren, but not judicially awarded custody. When properly completed, notarized and filed with the court, these forms assist grandparents in enrolling grandchildren in school and participating as the parent, as well as accessing routine and emergency medical and dental care. The revised forms do not expire, and if disagreements arise between grandparent caregivers and the parent, the grandparent can request a hearing in juvenile court and seek judicial custody. Download the caregiver power of attorney or the caretaker authorization affidavit.

Another resource is the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.