Alternatives to The Grandfamily Guidebook for NH Kinship Benefits

If you've come across The Grandfamily Guidebook by Andrew Adesman and Christine Adamec and you're wondering whether it covers what you need as a kinship caregiver in New Hampshire, here's the short answer: it's a well-regarded national resource for the emotional, medical, and parenting dimensions of raising a grandchild, but it doesn't include New Hampshire-specific benefit applications, income rules, agency contacts, or form numbers. For the administrative and financial navigation piece — which programs exist in NH, how to apply, and how income counting works for each — you need a state-specific resource.

What The Grandfamily Guidebook Covers Well

The Grandfamily Guidebook (priced around $16–$19 in paperback) draws on national survey data from kinship caregivers and medical professionals. It covers the emotional dynamics of taking on an unexpected child, behavioral health strategies, general legal concepts like guardianship and custody, health management for the child and the caregiver, and relationship navigation with the birth parents.

For grandparents adjusting to the emotional reality of kinship care — processing grief, managing the child's trauma responses, handling relationships with adult children who can't parent — it's a genuinely useful book. National reviews consistently praise its warmth and medical grounding.

Where It Falls Short for New Hampshire Caregivers

The book's national scope means it references "state aid" and "public assistance" in general terms without walking through any state's specific programs. For a grandparent in New Hampshire, the actionable questions are:

• Does my pension disqualify the child from FANF? (No — the non-needy caretaker relative pathway excludes caregiver income.)
• What is BFA Form 800 and how do I fill it out? (The combined Application for Assistance, filed through NH EASY, by mail, or in person.)
• How does SNAP count my income differently from FANF? (SNAP includes the caregiver's income in the household calculation; FANF does not.)
• What is the NH Child Care Scholarship and how do I apply? (A childcare subsidy administered by NH DHHS; apply through NH EASY or a local District Office.)
• Where is my regional DHHS District Office? (There are 11 across the state.)

The Grandfamily Guidebook doesn't answer any of these. It's not designed to — it's a national parenting and emotional resilience resource, not an administrative navigation tool.

The Alternatives

1. New Hampshire-Specific Benefits Guide

A state-specific kinship benefits guide covers the financial and administrative side that national books skip: program-by-program eligibility rules, income counting by legal arrangement type, exact form numbers and filing instructions, and a cross-program reference showing how informal care versus guardianship versus DCYF placement changes what's available.

The Financial Help for Grandparents and Relatives Raising a Child in New Hampshire guide covers FANF child-only cash assistance, Children's Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, School Meals and Summer EBT, the NH Child Care Scholarship, emergency assistance through municipal welfare and Step Up Parents, ServiceLink respite, and the fair hearing process — with worked examples showing how SSI versus Social Security retirement changes the benefit calculation. It costs $24 and includes printable worksheets for tracking applications and renewal deadlines.

Best for: Caregivers whose primary need is understanding and accessing financial benefits for the child.

2. Kinship Navigator Program (Family Resource Center network)

New Hampshire's Kinship Navigator Program is offered through the statewide Family Resource Center network. It provides free, voluntary, confidential support and referrals. Waypoint NH is one local provider; contact the Family Resource Center nearest you to reach a navigator.

Strengths: Free, personalized, connected to the local service network. Limitations: Referral-based (one program at a time), depends on navigator availability and caseload, doesn't provide a permanent reference document you can return to during renewals and redeterminations.

Best for: Caregivers who prefer phone/in-person support over written guides, and those who want ongoing connection with the kinship support community.

3. 603 Legal Aid / New Hampshire Legal Assistance

For income-eligible families, 603 Legal Aid provides free legal representation for guardianship petitions and kinship-related legal matters. New Hampshire Legal Assistance (NHLA) handles similar cases.

Strengths: Free legal help for those who qualify, experienced with NH family court procedures. Limitations: Income eligibility limits, capacity constraints (waitlists are common), focused on legal proceedings rather than benefit applications.

Best for: Caregivers who need help filing a guardianship petition under RSA 463 or who need legal representation for a contested matter.

4. DHHS Publications and NH EASY Portal

DHHS publishes program descriptions, eligibility summaries, and forms on its website. NH EASY (nheasy.nh.gov) is the state's online benefits application portal. BFA Form 800 and its instructions are publicly available.

Strengths: Free, authoritative, updated when programs change. Limitations: Each source covers one program in isolation, written for caseworkers rather than caregivers, no cross-program income comparison, scattered across multiple agency divisions.

Best for: Caregivers who know exactly which program they need and are comfortable navigating government documentation.

5. 211 NH

Dialing 2-1-1 connects families with a referral specialist who can identify local assistance programs, food pantries, utility assistance, and community services.

Strengths: Free, available 24/7, covers a wide range of needs beyond benefits. Limitations: Generalist service (not kinship-specific), referral-based rather than in-depth guidance, can't explain income counting rules or help with specific forms.

Best for: Families looking for immediate community assistance (food pantry, heating help, clothing) alongside or before formal benefit applications.

Comparison at a Glance

Which Combination Works Best

For most kinship caregivers in New Hampshire, the most effective approach uses two or three of these together:

• A state-specific benefits guide for the financial navigation and forms
• The Kinship Navigator Program for ongoing support and community connection
• The Grandfamily Guidebook (or a similar national resource) for the emotional and parenting dimensions

These cover different facets of kinship care. The Grandfamily Guidebook helps you process what happened and how to parent through it. A state-specific guide helps you pay for it. The Navigator helps you stay connected to people who understand what you're going through.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Grandfamily Guidebook worth reading if I already have a state-specific guide?

Yes — it covers emotional, medical, and parenting topics that a benefits navigation guide doesn't address. The two serve different purposes and complement each other well.

Does the Kinship Navigator Program replace a benefits guide?

Navigators provide referrals and support, which is valuable and free. A guide provides a permanent reference document with cross-program income rules, form instructions, and checklists that you keep for renewals and redeterminations. Most families benefit from both.

Are there other national kinship caregiver books?

Several national resources exist, including publications from Generations United and the American Bar Association's kinship care materials. Most share the same limitation as The Grandfamily Guidebook: strong on emotional and legal concepts, limited on state-specific administrative navigation.

Can I use The Grandfamily Guidebook for New Hampshire benefit applications?

No. The book discusses public assistance in general terms but does not include NH-specific programs, forms, income rules, or agency contacts. For benefit applications in New Hampshire, you need a state-specific resource.

See more New Hampshire guides →