Georgia TANF Child-Only Payment Amount: How Much Do You Get?

Current Monthly Payment Amounts

Georgia's TANF child-only grants are low compared with current living costs. The maximum monthly grant depends on the number of children in the assistance unit:

These are the amounts when the children have zero countable income of their own. Most kinship households receive the maximum because the child typically has no earnings, no Social Security benefits, and no active child support order.

How the Grant Calculation Works

DFCS looks only at income that belongs to the child — not the caregiver. In a non-needy caretaker relative case, the grandparent's Social Security, pension, wages, and spouse's earnings are completely excluded from the calculation.

Three types of child income count against the grant:

1. Child support payments received for the child (with a $50 monthly disregard — the first $50 does not reduce the grant)
2. Social Security survivor or dependent benefits paid under the child's own Social Security number
3. The child's own earnings from employment

If a child receives SSI (Supplemental Security Income), Georgia TANF policy excludes that child from the TANF assistance unit.

Here is a practical example: a grandmother in Georgia is raising two grandchildren with no child income. She receives the full $235 per month. If the absent parent starts paying $100 in child support, DFCS applies the $50 disregard and counts $50 as child income, reducing the monthly grant to $185.

Why the Amounts Are So Low

The $155 monthly grant for one child covers a fraction of actual childcare costs — the USDA estimates raising a child costs roughly $990 per month on average. The gap between the TANF amount and real expenses is why most kinship caregivers combine TANF with other programs: SNAP for food, Medicaid or PeachCare for health coverage, CAPS for childcare subsidies, and the GRG monthly supplement if the caregiver is a grandparent aged 55 or older.

The state allocated $6.2 million in AFY 2026 to update the Georgia Gateway system, but that funding targets processing improvements, not benefit increases.

Income Limits for the Child

Even though the caregiver's income does not count, the child's income is considered. The 2026 TANF standards list a gross income ceiling of $435 for a one-child assistance unit and $659 for a two-child unit. The corresponding standards of need are $235 and $356; those are not gross income limits. DFCS compares countable income with the applicable standards to determine eligibility and payment, which cannot exceed the family maximum.

How Payments Are Issued

Approved benefits load onto a Georgia EBT debit card on a monthly schedule. You can withdraw cash at ATMs or use the card at retailers that accept EBT. DFCS sends a written notice showing the approved amount, the effective date, and the next recertification deadline.

If you believe the payment amount is wrong — for instance, DFCS counted income that does not belong to the child — you can request a fair hearing within 30 days of the adverse action notice.

For a full breakdown of every financial benefit available to Georgia kinship caregivers, including the GRG supplement, SNAP, Medicaid, and childcare help, the Georgia Kinship Financial Help Guide walks through each program with the application steps and document requirements.

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