3SquaresVT Grandparent Raising Grandchild: How to Get Food Benefits in Vermont

How 3SquaresVT Works for Kinship Families

3SquaresVT is Vermont's name for the federal SNAP program — it loads monthly food benefits onto an EBT card that works at grocery stores, farmers' markets, and some online retailers. Grandparents and relatives raising a child can apply, and in many cases the grandchild's presence in the household increases the benefit amount.

The key difference from Reach Up Child Only: 3SquaresVT generally counts everyone who lives together and shares food as one household. That means your income and the child's are combined for the eligibility test.

Who Counts as the Household

Under SNAP rules, children under 18 who live with and are under the care of a household member other than a parent must be included in that household's application. If you're a grandmother living with your grandchild and you prepare meals together, you're one SNAP household.

This matters because:

• Your income plus the child's income determines the gross income limit
• A larger household size means a higher income threshold
• You can claim deductions (including medical expenses if you're 60 or older) that reduce countable income

Foster children are the exception — a child in licensed foster care is excluded from the SNAP household. But most kinship arrangements are informal or under guardianship, not licensed foster care, so the child is included.

Income Limits (October 2026 – September 2027)

3SquaresVT uses 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Level as the gross income ceiling:

Households where all members are 65 or older, or everyone receives SSI, may qualify even above the gross limit under special senior rules.

The Medical Expense Deduction for Older Caregivers

If you're 60 or older or have a disability, 3SquaresVT lets you deduct out-of-pocket medical expenses that exceed $35 per month. This includes:

• Prescription copays and over-the-counter medications prescribed by a doctor
• Medicare premiums and supplemental insurance costs
• Transportation costs to medical appointments
• Dental and vision expenses not covered by insurance

Many grandparent caregivers underreport these costs on their 3SquaresVT applications. Tracking and reporting them can meaningfully increase your monthly benefit.

How to Apply

You can apply for 3SquaresVT through:

• Online: the ACCESS online portal
• Phone: call the ESD Benefits Service Center at 1-800-479-6151
• In person: at any DCF District Office

If you're already receiving Reach Up Child Only, you can apply for 3SquaresVT at the same time or separately. The two programs have different household and income rules, but the same ESD office processes both.

Benefits are issued on an EBT card. For households where everyone is 65 or older or receives SSI, benefits may come as a cash bank deposit instead.

Stacking with Other Benefits

A 3SquaresVT grant doesn't reduce your Reach Up Child Only payment or affect Dr. Dynasaur eligibility. These programs are designed to work together, and each has its own income test.

Our Financial Help for Grandparents and Relatives Raising a Child in Vermont guide includes the full benefit-stacking strategy — which programs to apply for first, how household composition differs across each, and a medical expense tracking worksheet for the 60+ deduction.

See more Vermont guides →