Hawaii Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment (KGAP) Explained

Monthly Subsidies for Relatives Who Became Legal Guardians Through Child Welfare

When a child is removed from the parental home by a court order or voluntary placement agreement and placed with a relative through Hawaii's Child Welfare Services Branch (CWSB), that relative may qualify for ongoing monthly payments through the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KGAP). These payments continue after the guardianship is finalized and are separate from — and often larger than — the TANF child-only grant.

There are two tracks: the federally backed Title IV-E KGAP and Hawaii's State-Funded Permanency Assistance. Both are administered under Hawaii Administrative Rules Chapter 17-1621.

Who Qualifies

The eligibility requirements are specific:

1. The child must have been formally removed from the parental home through a judicial order or voluntary placement agreement.
2. The child must have lived with you for at least six consecutive months while your home was licensed or approved as a kinship foster home.
3. CWSB must have ruled out reunification with biological parents and adoption as viable permanency options.
4. You must pass criminal history background checks (Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center and FBI) and child abuse registry checks.
5. Children aged 14 and older must be consulted about the guardianship arrangement.

This program is only available through the formal child welfare system. If you are raising a child informally — without CWSB involvement — the TANF child-only grant through BESSD is your cash-assistance path instead.

Monthly Payment Rates

Permanency assistance rates match Hawaii's foster board reimbursement rates:

• Ages 0–5: $649 per month
• Ages 6–11: $742 per month
• Ages 12+: $776 per month

Children with documented physical, mental, or emotional needs may receive additional difficulty-of-care enhancements above these base rates. The agreement can also reimburse up to $2,000 in nonrecurring guardianship finalization expenses — court filing fees, legal costs, and administrative fees.

Automatic Medicaid Coverage

Children under 21 receiving Title IV-E or state-funded permanency assistance have no income limit under Hawaiʻi's Children Group. Only children receiving Title IV-E assistance are deemed eligible without a separate application, when the required certification and placement conditions are met. If you move out of Hawaii while Title IV-E guardianship payments are being made, the child remains eligible for Medicaid in the state where they live, and that state must enroll the child without a separate application. Permanency payments also continue regardless of where you live.

The Agreement-Before-Court-Order Rule

This is the single most important rule in the KGAP process: the Permanency Assistance Agreement must be fully signed by both you and DHS before the Family Court issues the guardianship order.

If you finalize guardianship through Family Court independently, without an executed DHS agreement in place first, the child may permanently lose access to Title IV-E KGAP and state permanency subsidies. The timing matters more than any other eligibility detail.

If you are currently in the child welfare process and considering guardianship, confirm with your CWSB case worker that the agreement is drafted and signed before any court hearing is scheduled.

How Long Payments Last

State-funded assistance can continue through the school year in which the youth turns 20. Title IV-E assistance may continue after age 18, up to age 21, if the Department determines that the child has a mental or physical disability that warrants continued assistance.

For the full KGAP walkthrough, the TANF child-only comparison, and worksheets for tracking both formal and informal financial assistance, see the Hawaii kinship financial help guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get KGAP and TANF child-only at the same time? Generally, no. KGAP replaces the TANF child-only grant once the permanency agreement is active. However, SNAP and Med-QUEST continue separately.

What if I already have legal guardianship without a DHS agreement? If you obtained guardianship outside the child welfare system, KGAP is not available. Your financial assistance path is the TANF child-only grant through BESSD, which does not require child welfare involvement.

Do I need to be a licensed foster parent first? Yes. The child must reside in your home for at least six months while it is licensed or approved as a kinship foster home. CWSB handles the licensing process as part of the child welfare case.

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