Help for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Connecticut: Every Program in One Place

When a grandchild moves in — sometimes overnight, sometimes with no warning at all — the first question is practical: what help exists, and how do I get it before the bills pile up? Connecticut has more programs for kinship caregivers than most states, but they are scattered across four different agencies and a court system that do not talk to each other. This is everything in one place.

Cash Assistance: TFA Child-Only Grant

The Department of Social Services (DSS) pays a monthly TFA child-only grant to grandparents and relatives caring for a child. The single most important thing to know: your income does not count. Countable child income such as Social Security survivor benefits and child support is evaluated; child SSI is generally excluded from TFA grant calculations.

• One child: approximately $525/month
• Two children: approximately $710/month
• Three children: approximately $896/month
• No time limit and no work requirement on child-only grants

Apply through the ConneCT portal (portal.ct.gov/dss), paper Form W-1E, or in person at a DSS Regional Resource Center. Tell the intake worker you are applying as a "non-needy relative caretaker for a child-only grant."

Health Coverage: HUSKY Health

Children in kinship care may qualify for HUSKY A Medicaid, which covers medical, dental, and behavioral health at no cost. If the child's income is up to 201% of the federal poverty level, HUSKY A may apply. Children above that threshold and up to 318% FPL may qualify for HUSKY B (CHIP), which has no premiums and may have minor copays.

Food Help: SNAP, WIC, and School Meals

SNAP food benefits are household-based: the child joins your unit, and your combined income determines the benefit amount. Adding a child raises the income threshold, so some grandparents who were previously ineligible now qualify.

For children under five, WIC provides targeted nutrition benefits (milk, eggs, produce, cereal, formula for infants). If the child receives HUSKY A or SNAP, WIC income eligibility is automatic.

School-age children on SNAP, TFA, or HUSKY A are directly certified for free school breakfast and lunch. No separate application needed.

Childcare: Care 4 Kids

The Care 4 Kids program subsidizes childcare for working caregivers. Kinship caregivers are a priority population. A relative who lives outside the child's household can be paid as a childcare provider, though they must complete the Provider Orientation Program and pass a background check.

Court-Based Grants: Probate Kinship and Respite Funds

If you have been appointed the child's guardian by a Connecticut Probate Court (and you are not receiving DCF payments), you can apply for:

• Kinship Fund: up to $550 per child per year for clothing, school supplies, and health needs
• Respite Fund: up to $2,200 per family per year for housing, childcare, food, or transportation

These grants require a financial hardship showing (qualifying for a Probate Court fee waiver).

DCF Subsidized Guardianship

If DCF placed the child with you through the child welfare system and you are an approved or licensed kinship foster caregiver, you may qualify for the Subsidized Transfer of Guardianship (STOG). Monthly stipends match foster care board rates — roughly $819 to $899 per month for basic care, higher for medically complex children. The child retains categorical HUSKY A coverage.

Senior Caregiver Grants

Caregivers aged 55 and older can access Title III-E grants through their regional Area Agency on Aging. These cover respite care, emergency supplies, clothing, camp tuition, and housing costs. Contact your AAA or call 2-1-1.

Free Legal Help and Navigation

• 2-1-1 Connecticut — the state's primary referral helpline for kinship caregivers
• CTLawHelp.org — self-help guides, hearing preparation toolkits, and legal aid directories
• Statewide Legal Services (SLS) — advice and referrals for low-income residents; representation depends on the case and eligibility
• GAPS support groups — peer meetings for grandparent caregivers across the state

Where to Start

If you are newly caring for a child and overwhelmed by the number of programs, start with three actions: apply for TFA child-only and HUSKY through ConneCT, confirm whether DSS needs a separate HUSKY application or follow-up, call 2-1-1 to connect with the Kinship Navigator, and gather the child's birth certificate and your ID. Everything else layers on from there.

The Connecticut Kinship Financial Help Guide organizes every program, application step, document checklist, and agency contact into a single reference, so you are not juggling six different websites and phone numbers while a child is depending on you.

See more Connecticut guides →