Financial Help for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Texas

What Texas Actually Offers

Texas has more financial help for grandparents raising grandchildren than most people realize, but it is scattered across four different agencies with different rules, different applications, and different eligibility requirements. Here is what exists, organized by the agency that runs it.

HHSC: Cash, Food, and Healthcare

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission administers the programs you apply for through Your Texas Benefits.

Child-Only TANF pays a monthly cash grant based on the child's needs — $132 for one child, $191 for two, $267 for three. The caregiver's income is completely excluded. You apply as a "payee" for the child, and HHSC evaluates only what the child receives (child support, survivor benefits). No court order required. No work requirement. No lifetime time limit.

One-Time TANF for Relatives (OT-TANF) is a single $1,000 payment for an eligible relative age 25 or older after the child is certified for ongoing TANF. Household income must be at or below 200% FPL and countable resources at or below $1,000. It is limited to one payment per eligible relative/child group.

SNAP provides food benefits loaded onto a Lone Star Card. Unlike TANF, SNAP generally counts the caregiver's income when the household buys and prepares food together. But grandparents age 60 and older benefit from expanded deductions — medical expenses over $35/month, excess shelter costs, and standard utility allowances — that significantly reduce countable income.

Medicaid and CHIP cover healthcare for the child. Under MAGI rules, when a grandparent does not claim the grandchild as a tax dependent, the child is evaluated as a single-person household with only their own income. Most grandchildren in kinship care qualify with zero out-of-pocket costs.

DFPS: Payments for CPS-Placed Children

If the Department of Family and Protective Services removed the child from a parent's home and placed them with you, a separate set of payments applies.

RODC Kinship Reimbursement pays $23.45 per day per child (approximately $703.50/month) for up to 12–18 months. You must pass a home assessment, sign a Kinship Caregiver Agreement, and have household income at or below 300% FPL. A one-time $1,000 start-up reimbursement covers beds, car seats, and clothing.

Verified Foster Care Rate pays $27.07+ per day ($812+/month) if you complete full foster home verification through a licensed agency.

Permanency Care Assistance (PCA) pays $400–$545 per month until the child turns 18, but only if you completed foster verification, cared for the child as a verified foster parent for six consecutive months, DFPS ruled out reunification and adoption, and you signed the PCA agreement before the court granted Permanent Managing Conservatorship. This is the long-term subsidy — and the reason foster verification matters.

Post-PMC Annual Reimbursement pays $500 per year for up to three years to unverified caregivers who receive PMC after a DFPS case.

TWC: Childcare Help

The Texas Workforce Commission provides subsidized childcare through local Workforce Solutions boards. Kinship caregivers who are working, in school, or in job training can apply. Children who were in foster care or are receiving PCA get priority access to subsidized pre-K under Texas Education Code § 29.153.

Education Benefits for Older Youth

Youth who were in DFPS care and transitioned to PMC through the child welfare system are eligible for tuition and fee waivers at Texas public colleges and universities. This is a full exemption — tuition, fees, and textbook allowances — available through the Education and Training Voucher (ETV) program.

What Your Legal Arrangement Changes

Your eligibility depends on how the child ended up in your care:

Informal arrangement (no court order, no DFPS involvement): You can apply for Child-Only TANF, OT-TANF, SNAP, Medicaid/CHIP, and TWC childcare subsidies. You are not eligible for any DFPS payments.

Chapter 34 Authorization Agreement: Same benefits as informal arrangement, plus full legal authority for school enrollment, medical consent, and benefit applications — all without a court order.

Court-ordered conservatorship or guardianship (private, no DFPS): Full access to all HHSC programs and TWC childcare. Not eligible for DFPS payments because the child was never in state conservatorship.

DFPS placement (child in state conservatorship): Everything. RODC stipend or foster rate while the case is open, PCA if you complete the six-month verified-care requirement, DFPS rules out reunification and adoption, and you sign the agreement before PMC, plus Child-Only TANF and all HHSC programs.

Where to Start

If you are in the first weeks of caring for a grandchild, start with three applications at once through Your Texas Benefits: Child-Only TANF, SNAP, and Medicaid. These can be filed on a single H1010 form. If you are also eligible for OT-TANF, ask HHSC about it once the child's ongoing TANF certification is established.

If DFPS placed the child, your caseworker should explain the RODC stipend. If they have not, ask directly.

Our Texas Kinship Financial Help Guide maps every program, shows which ones apply to your specific situation, and includes application worksheets, a document checklist, and a benefit tracking calendar so nothing gets missed.

See more Texas guides →