211 New Hampshire: Help for Grandparents and Kinship Caregivers

A child lands in your care with no warning, and suddenly you need food, diapers, a bed, and answers about health insurance — all by tomorrow. You don't know which agency handles what, and the state website feels like it was designed for someone with a social work degree. This is exactly the situation 211 NH exists for.

What 211 NH Actually Does

Dial 2-1-1 from any phone in New Hampshire (or call 1-866-444-4211) and you reach a trained information specialist who can connect you to local services based on what you need right now. The line operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For a grandparent or relative who just took custody of a child, the most common referrals include:

• Municipal welfare offices — RSA 165 requires every New Hampshire town and city to adopt general-assistance guidelines and provide relief to people who are poor and unable to support themselves. Local guidelines set eligibility and how assistance is provided.
• Food pantries and community meals — organized by town, accessible without any application process
• Fuel assistance programs — critical during NH winters when heating costs spike
• Emergency clothing and household goods — local nonprofits that stock cribs, car seats, and children's clothing
• Family Resource Centers — the gateway to the Kinship Navigator Program, peer support groups, and benefit application help

You can also search the 211 NH resource directory online at 211nh.org if you prefer to browse rather than call.

When to Call 211 vs. DHHS Directly

211 NH is a referral service, not a benefits application line. It connects you to the right agency — it doesn't process your SNAP application or determine your Medicaid eligibility. Here's how to think about when to use each:

Call 211 when:

• You need immediate crisis help (food tonight, emergency shelter, winter fuel)
• You don't know which agency or program handles your situation
• It's after hours and you need a connection to an overnight or weekend resource
• You want a list of local nonprofits in your county

Contact DHHS directly when:

• You're ready to apply for Child-Only FANF, Medicaid, SNAP, or the Child Care Scholarship
• You need to file BFA Form 800 through NH EASY (nheasy.nh.gov) or at a District Office
• You received a redetermination notice or benefits decision you need to act on
• You want to reach a specific BFA Family Services Specialist

The DHHS Customer Service Center is at 1-844-ASK-DHHS (1-844-275-3447), and the DHHS application guide walks through the full process.

How 211 Fits into the Bigger Picture

Most kinship caregivers use 211 at the very beginning — during the first week when the child arrives and everything is urgent. After that initial crisis window, the Kinship Navigator Program through Family Resource Centers becomes the longer-term support system. Navigators help with ongoing benefit applications, peer groups, and legal referrals, and they have no income limits.

For grandparent and other relative caregivers aged 55 and older, ServiceLink (1-866-634-9412) may help connect you to state- or federally funded respite through the Aging and Disability Resource Center network.

The full map of financial help programs for kinship caregivers in New Hampshire covers every major benefit — from the child-only cash grant where your retirement income doesn't count, to Medicaid, SNAP, childcare subsidies, and emergency assistance. Many caregivers don't realize how much the child qualifies for independently until someone walks them through it.

211 is the starting point when you don't know where to start. Everything else builds from there.

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