Georgia Kinship Care Financial Assistance: Every Program in One Place

The Financial Programs Available to Georgia Kinship Caregivers

Georgia has roughly 128,000 children being raised by grandparents, making it the fifth-highest state in the country for kinship care. If you are one of those caregivers — a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or sibling raising a child — there are multiple financial programs you may qualify for. The challenge is that they are spread across different agencies with different eligibility rules.

Here is every major program, what it covers, and which agency runs it.

Cash Assistance: Child-Only TANF

DFCS provides monthly cash grants to children living with relative caregivers through child-only TANF. The caregiver applies as a "non-needy caretaker relative," meaning the caregiver's income and assets are not counted. Only the child's own income matters — child support, Social Security benefits in the child's name, or earnings.

Monthly payment amounts: $155 for one child, $235 for two, $280 for three. Applications go through Georgia Gateway (gateway.ga.gov) or a county DFCS office.

GRG Monthly Subsidy and Emergency Grant

The Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (GRG) program adds a $100-per-child monthly supplement on top of TANF for grandparents who are 55 or older (or have a qualifying disability) with household income below 160% of the Federal Poverty Level. Grandparents who take in a grandchild during an unexpected crisis may also qualify for a one-time CRISP emergency payment equal to four times the TANF maximum for the assistance unit, which includes only the grandchild or grandchildren for whom CRISP is requested.

Food Assistance: SNAP

SNAP (food stamps) is evaluated on a household basis — whoever buys and prepares food together forms the household unit. When a grandchild moves in, you can add them to your existing SNAP case or apply for a new one. Households with a member aged 60 or older benefit from special rules: the gross income test is waived, and out-of-pocket medical expenses over $35 per month can be deducted from countable income.

SNAP applications go through Georgia Gateway alongside or separately from TANF.

Health Coverage: Medicaid and PeachCare

Children in kinship care are almost always eligible for Medicaid or PeachCare for Kids. If you do not claim the child as a tax dependent, DFCS evaluates only the child's income when determining Medicaid eligibility — which usually means the child qualifies at no cost.

PeachCare for Kids (Georgia's CHIP program) covers children up to 247% FPL. Children under six pay no premium; older children pay an income-based monthly premium on a sliding scale. Children in foster care enroll in Georgia Families 360°, which coordinates physical health, dental, and behavioral health services.

Childcare: CAPS Subsidies

The CAPS program through DECAL subsidizes childcare costs. Parents participating in DFCS's GRG program are a priority group and are exempt from the activity requirement, but must still meet CAPS income rules. Some other kinship caregivers may qualify under the Need to Protect priority group, subject to CAPS Management approval; that priority alone does not waive income or activity rules. Most CAPS applicants must participate in approved activities for an average of at least 24 hours per week.

Income eligibility for entry is at or below 50% of the State Median Income. Once enrolled, families stay eligible until income reaches 85% SMI. CAPS pays the childcare provider directly — the caregiver does not receive cash.

Emergency and Utility Help

Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides heating and cooling grants through local Community Action Agencies. Crisis winter payments can reach $810 for households facing energy shutoffs; summer crisis payments go up to $500. Households with a member aged 65 or older or a medically homebound member can apply during an earlier opening period; agencies serve applicants first-come, first-served.

Local nonprofits and Community Action Agencies also offer discretionary grants for housing arrears, clothing, and home repairs. These vary by county and funding availability.

Kinship Foster Care and Guardianship Payments

If DFCS placed the child with you through the foster care system, you may qualify for the kinship foster care per diem — substantially more than TANF. The latest published rates located (effective July 1, 2025) total $876, $945.30, and $1,028.10 for 30 days, depending on the child's age. Ask your case manager to confirm the rate in effect for your placement.

For permanent placements, the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP) provides ongoing monthly payments at the foster care rate after you finalize guardianship. KinGAP requires the child to have been in your licensed foster home for at least six consecutive months first.

Stacking Benefits Without Conflicts

These programs can overlap, but do not assume every payment is excluded when another program calculates eligibility. DFCS policy requires caseworkers to explain possible SNAP and Medicaid effects of the GRG Monthly Subsidy Payment. Ask DFCS and the relevant benefits office how TANF and GRG payments will be counted for your household.

The key is knowing which income counts where. Getting one benefit wrong can cascade into problems with others — for example, claiming the child as a tax dependent changes how Medicaid evaluates household income.

The Georgia Kinship Financial Help Guide maps out exactly how these programs interact, with application checklists and document lists for each one, so you can apply for the full stack in the right order.

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