Alabama Child-Only TANF for Grandparents: How the Non-Needy Relative Grant Works

The Part Most Grandparents Get Wrong

When grandparents in Alabama hear "TANF" or "Family Assistance," most assume their own retirement income, Social Security, or pension disqualifies the child in their care. That assumption costs families real money every month.

Alabama's Family Assistance program — the state's version of TANF — has a specific provision called the "child-only" or "non-needy relative" grant. When a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or other relative within the fifth degree of blood or marriage is raising a child without the parents in the home, only the child's own income counts toward eligibility. The caregiver's earnings, retirement checks, savings, and property are completely excluded from the calculation.

No court order is required. No guardianship paperwork. Physical residence of the child in your home is enough to apply.

Who Qualifies as a "Specified Relative"

DHR defines a "specified relative" as a blood relative within the fifth degree of consanguinity, a stepparent, step-sibling, or legal adoptive relative. That covers grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, great-aunts, great-uncles, first cousins, siblings, nieces, and nephews.

Fictive kin — close family friends without a blood or legal tie — can serve as emergency payees for up to 90 days, but cannot receive the ongoing child-only grant.

What Counts as "Child Income"

Because the caregiver's income is excluded, only these sources count against the child:

• Child support payments received on the child's behalf
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) paid directly to the child
• Social Security survivor or dependent benefits under the child's SSN
• Any earnings or cash assets belonging to the child personally

If the child has no income of their own — which is the case for most children in kinship care — the household qualifies for the full payment standard.

Alabama Family Assistance Payment Amounts

Monthly payment standards are set by the number of eligible children in the Assistance Unit:

• 1 child: $165/month
• 2 children: $190/month
• 3 children: $215/month
• 4 children: $245/month
• 5 children: $275/month

For units larger than 10 children, add $30 per additional child. These rates are set by administrative code and have no scheduled cost-of-living adjustment for 2027.

If the child has countable income, DHR subtracts it dollar-for-dollar from the payment standard. Grants below $10 are not issued.

How to Apply

Submit Form DHR-FAD 690 (Application for Assistance) at your county DHR office, or apply online through the MyDHR portal at mydhr.alabama.gov or the OneAlabama app. You'll need the child's birth certificate, Social Security number, proof of Alabama residency, and documentation of any income the child receives.

DHR must process the application within 30 calendar days. An eligibility interview — by phone or in person — happens before approval. Once approved, benefits are retroactive to the application date and loaded monthly onto an EBT card.

What You Don't Have to Do

Because the caregiver is excluded from the Assistance Unit in a child-only case, you are exempt from:

• The JOBS work program (no job search, no training requirements)
• The 60-month federal lifetime benefit limit
• Financial sanctions for adult work non-compliance

The child support cooperation requirement still applies — DHR will refer the case to Child Support Enforcement. If pursuing child support would put the child or caregiver at risk, you can file a Good Cause exemption using Form C855 with supporting documentation.

The Complete Picture

The child-only FA grant is one piece of a larger benefits picture for Alabama kinship families. The Financial Help for Grandparents and Relatives Raising a Child in Alabama guide walks through every program — SNAP, Medicaid, ALL Kids, childcare subsidies, KinGAP, and caregiver support — with the document checklists, agency contacts, and deadline trackers that DHR doesn't hand you at intake.

See more Alabama guides →