Arkansas TEA Child Only Grant for Grandparents and Relative Caregivers

Most grandparents and relatives who suddenly start raising a child in Arkansas assume their retirement income disqualifies the household from cash help. That assumption costs families $162 to $204 a month in benefits they never apply for.

What the Child-Only TEA Grant Actually Is

Transitional Employment Assistance is Arkansas's cash aid program under the federal TANF block grant, run by the DHS Division of County Operations. When a grandparent or other relative applies on behalf of a child, the case is structured as a "child-only" or "non-needy caretaker relative" grant. The key difference from a standard TEA case: the caregiver's income, retirement pension, Social Security, and assets are completely excluded from the eligibility calculation. Only the child's own income — survivor benefits, child support, trust distributions — counts against the limits.

For most kinship children, that income is zero. A child with no countable income meets the income test; other TEA eligibility requirements still apply.

How Much the Grant Pays

Monthly amounts are fixed by household size (number of eligible children):

• 1 child: $162/month
• 2 children: $204/month
• 3 children: $247/month
• 4 children: $286/month
• 5 children: $331/month

These amounts apply regardless of the caregiver's personal income. A grandmother receiving $2,500 a month in Social Security still qualifies for the full child-only grant — her income simply does not enter the calculation.

No Work Rules, No Lifetime Limit

Child-only TEA cases are exempt from mandatory work activities, job search requirements, and employability plans. The federal and state 24-month lifetime limit on cash assistance applies only to adult-included cases, not child-only grants. Benefits continue until the child turns 18 (or 19 if still enrolled full-time in secondary school).

How to Apply

File through the Access Arkansas portal at access.arkansas.gov or submit a paper DCO-0004 form at any DHS county office. You can also apply by phone through the DHS Customer Service Call Center. Tell the intake worker you are applying for a child-only TEA grant as a non-needy caretaker relative.

What to bring:

• Child's birth certificate (or hospital record, baptismal certificate, or school ID as backup)
• Child's Social Security card (or SSA receipt showing the application)
• Your photo ID
• Proof of relationship (birth certificates linking you to the child, or a sworn affidavit)
• Proof the child lives with you (school enrollment records, pediatrician records at your address)

You do not need to provide your own income documentation for a child-only case. Benefits start retroactively from the date your signed application is received and date-stamped — apply before you have every document assembled, then submit verification promptly and follow any deadline DHS gives you.

One Thing to Know About Child Support Cooperation

Receiving child-only TEA triggers a mandatory referral to the Office of Child Support Enforcement to establish paternity and pursue support from the non-custodial parent. If cooperating would put the child or you at risk — because of domestic violence, abuse, or the child was conceived through rape or incest — you can claim a Good Cause exemption during intake. Request it early: once the referral goes out, pulling it back is harder.

The Bigger Picture

The child-only TEA grant is one piece of a larger puzzle — ARKids First for health coverage, SNAP for food, childcare subsidies, and potentially subsidized guardianship payments if the child came through the child welfare system. Our Arkansas Financial Help for Kinship Caregivers guide walks through every program, what each agency needs, and how the different legal arrangements (informal care, power of attorney, guardianship, foster placement) change what you can access.

See more Arkansas guides →