Delaware Kinship Caregiver Support Services and Resources

The Agencies and Programs That Exist

Delaware runs several programs specifically for relatives who step in to raise a child. The challenge isn't that the help doesn't exist — it's that the programs are scattered across different agencies with different eligibility rules, and nobody hands you a single list when a grandchild moves in overnight.

Here's what's actually available.

DSAAPD Affidavits and Kinship Navigation

The Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD), part of Delaware's Department of Health and Social Services, is the anchor agency for kinship caregivers. DSAAPD maintains the two official affidavit forms — the school authorization affidavit under 14 Del. C. § 202(f) and the medical authorization affidavit under 13 Del. C. § 708 — and publishes the Legal Handbook for Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children.

Delaware's Kinship Navigator Program is provided through Children's Choice of Delaware. It supports full-time relative and non-relative caregivers with referrals for services, support groups, respite care, and community resources. If DFS will continue to be involved, a caseworker can refer you; other full-time caregivers can contact Children's Choice directly at 302-678-0404.

ADRC Helpline (1-800-223-9074)

The Aging and Disability Resource Center is a single-call entry point for caregiver services. For grandparents especially — many of whom are over 60 and managing their own health alongside a child's needs — the ADRC connects you with:

• Respite care programs (temporary relief so you can handle medical appointments or simply rest)
• Benefit eligibility screening for programs you might not know about
• Referrals to caregiver support groups in your county
• For kinship-specific navigation, contact Children's Choice of Delaware at 302-678-0404.

The ADRC doesn't fill out your paperwork or represent you legally. It's a referral and navigation service. But when you're overwhelmed and don't know which agency does what, it's worth the call.

Financial Help Programs

Kinship caregivers in Delaware can access several financial support streams, though eligibility varies:

Child-Only TANF: You can apply for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families on behalf of the child without your own income counting against eligibility. This is one of the most commonly missed benefits — many grandparents don't realize they can receive a monthly cash benefit for the child's needs without applying for themselves.

Medicaid and CHIP: Children placed with relative caregivers often qualify for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program. The application goes through Delaware's Division of Social Services.

SNAP (food assistance): DSS determines the SNAP household using factors such as who lives together and buys and prepares food together. Children up to age 21 who live with their parents must apply with those parents; ask DSS how the child is counted in your situation.

School meal programs: Children receiving TANF or SNAP qualify for Direct Certification — free school meals without filing a separate income application. In schools operating under the Community Eligibility Provision, all students eat free regardless.

For a detailed breakdown of financial benefits, including how to apply and what documentation you need, the Delaware Kinship Financial Help Guide covers the full landscape.

Support Groups and Community Connections

Isolation is one of the hardest parts of kinship care. You went from your own routine to raising a child again, often with limited time to process the family crisis that caused it. Children's Choice of Delaware's Kinship Navigation program offers monthly support groups for full-time caregivers and their children.

The groups provide peer support from other caregivers navigating kinship care. To ask about services or referrals, call Children's Choice at 302-678-0404.

National Resources Worth Knowing

GrandFacts offers state-specific fact sheets summarizing kinship resources and laws. The Delaware fact sheet is part of Generations United's project, with support from The Brookdale Foundation Group and AARP.

Grandfamilies.org, a collaboration among Generations United, the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law, and Casey Family Programs, hosts a searchable national legal database of state kinship laws, including Delaware's education and medical consent statutes.

Neither replaces the actual DSAAPD forms or Delaware-specific preparation, but they're useful for understanding the broader picture — especially if you're helping a relative in another state too.

Putting It Together

The gap for most Delaware kinship caregivers isn't that the services don't exist. It's that navigating five different agencies while simultaneously getting a child enrolled in school and set up with a pediatrician is genuinely overwhelming, especially when the reason the child moved in was a family crisis.

Our School and Medical Consent Guide for Delaware Relatives organizes the school and medical affidavit process into a single workflow — what to gather, where to get it notarized, how to submit it, and what to do when something goes wrong. It sits alongside the free agency resources above, not in place of them.

See more Delaware guides →