Child-Only Grant New York — How Non-Parent Caregivers Apply

Your Income Does Not Count

The child-only grant is a monthly cash payment for children living with a non-parent caregiver — a grandparent, aunt, uncle, older sibling, or family friend. It is administered through Temporary Assistance; relative cases generally use Family Assistance, with Safety Net Assistance available when TANF funding or time limits make it unavailable.

The defining feature: the caregiver's income and assets are not counted toward the child's eligibility. Whether you collect a $1,800 Social Security check or earn $65,000 a year, the state evaluates the child's own income — survivor benefits, child support, or SSI received in the child's name. You still must provide your own income and resource information on the LDSS-2921, but it cannot be counted for the child's Temporary Assistance eligibility.

This is not an oversight. 18 NYCRR Parts 350–352 govern Temporary Assistance for children living with non-parent caregivers. The child is the assistance unit; the caregiver is not. OTDA refers to these as non-parent caregiver cases, commonly called child-only grants.

How Much the Grant Pays

The monthly amount combines three components: a basic needs allowance, a home energy allowance, and a shelter allowance that varies by county.

For a single child in New York City, the 2026–27 sample maximum is $439.70 per month. In suburban counties like Suffolk or Nassau, it reaches $511.70. Sample upstate districts such as Monroe and Erie are around $411.70. Add a second child and the NYC figure is $595.

These are sample maximums before countable child income is subtracted; actual amounts follow the local district schedule. If the child receives unearned income — say $200 per month in Social Security survivor benefits — that amount is subtracted dollar-for-dollar. A child in NYC with $200 in survivor benefits would receive $239.70.

Who Qualifies

You need three things:

1. A child living in your home who has been deprived of parental support through absence, death, incapacity, or unemployment.
2. You are a non-parent caregiver providing full-time care. In general, the child's parent must not live in your home. Cases where a parent lives in the home but does not take parental responsibility are unusual; ask the district for an official decision.
3. Low child income. The child's personal bank accounts must fall below the state resource ceiling. The child's individual unearned income is counted; yours is not.

You do not need a court order. You do not need legal custody. You do not need to be a certified foster parent. Informal kinship arrangements qualify.

How to Apply

File Form LDSS-2921 (Application for Certain Benefits and Services). This single form covers cash assistance, SNAP, Medicaid, and childcare subsidies simultaneously.

In New York City: Apply online through ACCESS HRA, by mail, or in person at an HRA Benefits Access Center.

Outside NYC: Apply online at myBenefits.ny.gov or at your county Department of Social Services office.

When filling out the LDSS-2921, make clear that you are a non-parent caregiver applying for the child, not for yourself. Ask the worker to identify your application as a non-parent caregiver case.

What to Bring to the Appointment

• Child's birth certificate
• Child's Social Security card (or proof you've applied for one)
• Proof of your address (lease, utility bill, mortgage statement)
• Documentation of your relationship to the child (birth certificates linking generations, or a sworn affidavit)
• Any proof of the child's own income (SSA award letters, child support orders)
• Your photo ID

The district must process your application within 30 days. If the household has under $100 in liquid resources and gross monthly income under $150, ask for expedited SNAP processing — that triggers a 7-day turnaround for food benefits.

No Work Requirements, No Time Limits

Because you are not part of the assistance unit, you cannot be sanctioned for failing to meet employment rules. Child-only cases are exempt from mandatory work activities, job search requirements, and the federal 60-month TANF time limit. Benefits continue as long as the child meets age requirements — typically until 18, or 19 if enrolled in high school or vocational training full-time.

What Happens with Child Support

Filing for child-only cash assistance triggers an automatic assignment of the child's support rights to the local social services district. The state will pursue the child's non-custodial parents for support.

If pursuing child support would put you or the child at risk — domestic violence, for example — you can file a Good Cause exception using Form LDSS-2726. Document the danger with orders of protection, police reports, or counselor affidavits.

The Child-Only Grant Is a Starting Point

Cash assistance is one piece. The same LDSS-2921 application opens the door to SNAP, Medicaid, and childcare subsidies. The complete New York kinship benefits guide maps every program — from the child-only grant through KinGAP, CCAP childcare vouchers, the Empire State Child Credit, and Fair Hearing appeals — with the documents you need for each one.

See more New York guides →