Connecticut DCF Kinship Navigator Program

What the Kinship Navigator Does

The Connecticut Kinship Navigator Program, operated through the Department of Children and Families (DCF) under CGS § 17a-98, is an information and referral service for grandparents and relatives who are raising a child. It is not a benefit program itself — it connects you to the programs and services that exist.

A Kinship Navigator can help you find:

• Financial assistance — TFA child-only grants, SNAP, state childcare subsidies
• Health coverage — HUSKY A (Medicaid) and HUSKY B (CHIP) for the child
• Legal aid referrals — Statewide Legal Services, Greater Hartford Legal Aid, and other agencies that help with guardianship petitions
• Support groups — local and virtual groups for grandparents and kinship caregivers
• School enrollment guidance — including your rights under CGS § 10-186
• Respite grants and community resources — ask about respite grant applications and other local resources

How to Connect

211 Connecticut is a referral contact for kinship resources. Dial 2-1-1 from any Connecticut phone or visit 211ct.org. Tell the operator you are a kinship caregiver and ask for the current referral route to the Kinship Navigator or related resources.

You can also contact DCF directly and ask how to reach the Kinship Navigator Program. The Navigator provides information and referrals for kinship caregivers; ask about the referral options that fit your situation.

What the Navigator Does Not Do

Kinship Navigators provide referrals and information over the phone. They do not:

• File court paperwork for you
• Attend school enrollment meetings with you
• Provide direct financial payments
• Give legal advice (they refer you to legal aid agencies)
• Create or manage benefit applications on your behalf

This means you still need to do the work of contacting the agencies, filling out applications, and gathering documents. The Navigator shortens the search by telling you exactly where to go and what to ask for — but the execution is yours.

Support Groups

Connecticut has several kinship caregiver support groups, some run through DCF-affiliated agencies and others through community organizations. Support groups are where caregivers share practical advice: which school registrars are cooperative, which pediatric offices accept a notarized authorization letter without difficulty, how to navigate the TFA application, and how to manage the emotional weight of raising a grandchild or relative's child.

Ask the Kinship Navigator for the group nearest to you. Groups meet in person (typically at community centers, churches, or agency offices) and some offer virtual options.

Beyond the Navigator

The Kinship Navigator is a starting point, not a complete solution. It tells you what exists, but it does not organize the pieces into a sequence you can follow. For example, the Navigator can tell you that you may need form PC-504 for temporary guardianship and that HUSKY Health covers the child — but it will not walk you through which consent path fits your situation, which forms to file together, or what to do when a school or doctor pushes back.

The Connecticut School and Medical Consent Guide picks up where the Navigator leaves off: the actual consent forms, the school enrollment process, the medical consent paths, and the step-by-step order for getting everything in place.

See more Connecticut guides →