Documents Needed for a TFA Application in Connecticut

Why the Document List Matters More Than You Think

The 45-day processing window for a TFA application starts when DSS receives your form. If you show up to the eligibility interview without the right documents, DSS can't verify your case — and the clock keeps running. Incomplete documentation is one of the most common reasons applications stall or get denied, even when the family clearly qualifies.

For a child-only TFA application, the documents fall into five categories.

1. Child's Identity and Age

You need at least one of these for each child on the application:

• Long-form birth certificate (the version with parents' names)
• Valid passport
• Hospital birth record

The birth certificate is the strongest option because it also serves double duty: it names the biological parents, which helps establish the next category.

2. Child's Social Security Number

• Official Social Security card, or
• Proof that you've applied for one (SSA application receipt)

If the child doesn't have a Social Security number yet — common when a child arrives suddenly from another state or from an informal arrangement with no prior paperwork — apply at your local Social Security office immediately and bring the receipt to your DSS appointment.

3. Relationship to the Child

DSS needs to verify that you're a relative. This usually means a chain of birth certificates:

• The child's birth certificate (naming the parent)
• Your birth certificate or the connecting relative's birth certificate (showing you're the parent's mother, father, sibling, aunt, uncle, etc.)

If the connection runs through marriage (you're the child's step-grandparent, or the child's parent married your child), a marriage certificate fills the link.

For more distant relatives — great-aunt, cousin — you may need additional connecting documents. Bring everything you have; the worker can tell you if anything is missing.

4. Connecticut Residency

Proof that you and the child live in Connecticut:

• Current lease agreement or mortgage statement
• Utility bill in your name (electric, gas, water)
• Town hall residency letter
• Bank statement or official mail showing your Connecticut address

You need to demonstrate that the child physically resides with you. A letter from the child's school confirming enrollment at your address can supplement your residency proof.

5. Child's Income and Assets

For a child-only application, only the child's own financial situation matters. Gather:

• Social Security survivor benefit statements (if the child receives benefits from a deceased parent)
• Child support payment records (if a parent pays support directly or through the court)
• Bank statements for any accounts in the child's name
• SSI award letter (if applicable — though SSI is generally excluded from TFA calculations)

If the child has no income and no assets — which is the case for most children entering kinship care — you still need to state that on the application. The absence of child income is itself a verification point.

What You Don't Need to Bring

For a child-only application as a non-parent relative caregiver, DSS should not ask for:

• Your tax returns
• Your Social Security statements
• Your bank accounts or asset records
• Your employment verification

If a worker asks for these, state clearly that you are applying as a non-needy relative caretaker for a child-only grant, and that your income and assets are excluded under DSS Uniform Policy Manual rules.

At the Appointment

Follow DSS instructions about whether to bring or submit originals or copies. Keep your own copy of every document and note the date you submitted it. If you're mailing documents, use tracking or hand-deliver with a date-stamped receipt.

A document log — noting what you submitted, when, and to whom — protects you if anything gets lost in the system. It also becomes critical evidence if you need to file a fair hearing later.

Our Connecticut kinship financial help guide includes a complete verification checklist covering every program (TFA, SNAP, HUSKY, Care 4 Kids, AAA grants), so you can gather documents for all of them at once instead of making separate trips.

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