Arkansas TEA Payment Amounts and Diversion Assistance by Household Size

One of the first questions relatives ask after learning they can file for a child-only TEA grant in Arkansas is how much the payment actually is. The answer depends on how many children are in the assistance unit — and there is a separate one-time option most people never hear about.

Monthly TEA Cash Grant Amounts

Arkansas sets TEA payment standards by the number of eligible children in the household. For child-only cases (where the caregiver's income is excluded), these are the maximum monthly amounts:

• 1 child: $162
• 2 children: $204
• 3 children: $247
• 4 children: $286
• 5 children: $331
• 6 children: $373
• 7 children: $415
• 8 or more children: $457

These are fixed rates — they do not vary by county or fluctuate with the cost of living. If the child has zero countable income (which is the case for most kinship children), you receive the full amount for your household size. Payments arrive on an EBT card through the Way2Go Card network, or you can set up direct deposit into a bank account.

TEA Diversion: The One-Time Emergency Payment

TEA diversion assistance is a separate, one-time lump-sum payment for caregivers facing an immediate financial crisis — an eviction notice, a utility shutoff, a car repair needed to keep transportation. The maximum payment equals three months of the regular monthly grant for your household size. For a household of three (one caregiver plus two children), that cap is $204 × 3 = $612.

The catch: accepting diversion assistance means you forfeit regular monthly TEA for 100 calendar days from the application date. You can only receive diversion once in your lifetime. If the emergency is serious enough that the lump sum solves it and you can manage without monthly payments for the next three months, it may be worth it. Otherwise, the steady monthly grant is usually the better choice.

Diversion is structured as a loan the state encourages you to repay. If you do not repay and later apply for adult-included TEA (not child-only), the diversion counts as up to three months against the adult lifetime limit.

Which Option Makes Sense

For most kinship caregivers, the ongoing monthly child-only grant is the clear winner — no work requirements, no lifetime limit, and steady income that continues until the child turns 18. Diversion makes sense only for a genuine one-time crisis where the lump sum resolves the problem and you will not need the monthly cash during the 100-day gap.

If you are weighing these options alongside SNAP, ARKids First, and childcare subsidies, our Arkansas Financial Help for Kinship Caregivers guide lays out every program side by side, including how each one interacts with your legal arrangement (informal care, guardianship, or foster placement).

See more Arkansas guides →