How to Apply for All NH Kinship Caregiver Benefits Without Missing Any

If you're a relative raising a child in New Hampshire and you want to make sure you're not missing any benefits the child qualifies for, the challenge isn't finding individual programs — it's knowing the full list, understanding which to apply for first, and getting the application order right so you don't lose time-sensitive protections. There are at least seven distinct programs and funding sources available to kinship caregivers in New Hampshire, and they're administered by different agencies with different forms, different income rules, and different timelines. Missing one because nobody mentioned it at the DHHS office is the most common way families leave money on the table.

The Full List of Programs

Most kinship caregivers in New Hampshire know about one or two of these. Few know about all of them — and almost nobody has been told how the income rules differ across them.

1. FANF child-only cash assistance — monthly cash grant through the Family Assistance Program for children living with a non-needy caretaker relative. The caregiver's income is excluded. Filed on BFA Form 800.

2. Children's Medicaid — health coverage for the child. Applied for on the same BFA Form 800 using the Medical Assistance Insert (Form 800MA).

3. SNAP (food benefits) — household food assistance. The caregiver's income counts here, unlike FANF. Applied for through BFA Form 800 or NH EASY.

4. WIC — supplemental nutrition for children under 5. Categorical eligibility through SNAP or Medicaid often qualifies the household automatically. Applied at local WIC agencies.

5. NH Child Care Scholarship — childcare subsidy administered by NH DHHS. Household income determines the co-pay tier. Apply through NH EASY or a local DHHS District Office.

6. School Meals and Summer EBT — free or reduced-price meals during the school year and Summer EBT cards. SNAP or TANF/FANF enrollment can establish automatic free-meal eligibility through direct certification. New Hampshire automatically enrolls students found eligible for free or reduced-price meals in Summer EBT unless a parent or guardian opts out within 15 days of the eligibility notice.

7. Emergency assistance — municipal welfare (town-by-town), the state Emergency Assistance program, Step Up Parents grants for families affected by substance use, and ServiceLink respite for caregivers aged 55 and older.

Why Application Order Matters

The child's move-in date does not set the FANF effective date. The application date is the date DHHS receives a signed application; under New Hampshire's rule, assistance begins on the first of the month after the application month or in the payroll period when eligibility is determined, whichever comes first, provided the family is eligible on the payment date.

This makes promptly submitting BFA Form 800 the first priority, even if you do not have all your documents gathered yet. The application can be filed with the applicant's name, address, and signature; DHHS can request additional information during the eligibility process.

FANF, SNAP, and Medicaid can be requested together through the BFA application process. Filing them together is efficient; applying for FANF promptly helps preserve the earliest effective date allowed under the rule.

The Child Care Scholarship can be requested through NH EASY or a local DHHS District Office, but it has its own eligibility rules and processing timeline. WIC has local agency appointments. Emergency assistance (municipal welfare, Step Up Parents) can often be accessed faster than DHHS programs. None of these have the same effective-date urgency as FANF, but they all have their own processing windows that start from the date you apply.

The Cross-Program Income Problem

The reason families miss benefits isn't laziness — it's that income rules differ across programs in ways that aren't intuitive.

A grandparent earning $54,000 from a pension does not have that income counted for a child-only FANF group when the grandparent is not included in the assistance group. A child who meets FANF's other eligibility requirements and has no countable income can qualify for the full grant. That same $54,000 might reduce the SNAP benefit significantly. SSI received by a child included in the FANF group counts as unearned income. Whether the child is in informal care, under a guardianship order, or placed by DCYF changes which programs are available and how income counting works for each.

Without understanding these interactions, families either don't apply (assuming they make too much) or apply for one program without realizing the others exist.

Who This Approach Helps Most

• Relatives who just had a child arrive suddenly — within the last few days or weeks — and need to act immediately to protect the application date
• Caregivers who applied for one or two programs but were never told about the others
• Grandparents who called DHHS, mentioned their income, and were discouraged from applying — without being told about the non-needy caretaker relative pathway
• Families where the legal arrangement is about to change (moving from informal care to guardianship) who need to understand how that changes benefit eligibility
• Remote relatives helping a grandparent manage applications from a distance

Who Doesn't Need This

• Caregivers who are already enrolled in FANF, SNAP, Medicaid, and childcare and confirmed nothing else is available
• Families whose primary need is legal (guardianship petition, custody dispute) rather than benefits navigation
• Caregivers in a state other than New Hampshire — every state has different programs, forms, and income rules

A Practical Approach

The most reliable way to avoid missing benefits is to work from a comprehensive list and check each program against the child's specific situation: the caregiver's income sources, the legal arrangement, the child's age, and the county.

The Financial Help for Grandparents and Relatives Raising a Child in New Hampshire guide provides that list as a single document: every program, who qualifies, how income counting works, which forms to file, what documents to bring, and a reference table mapping legal arrangements (informal, power of attorney, guardianship under RSA 463, DCYF placement) to the programs each one unlocks. It includes the BFA Form 800 walkthrough, the Child Care Scholarship application, emergency grant sources, and the fair hearing process for denied benefits.

The free alternative is contacting your local Family Resource Center for New Hampshire's Kinship Navigator Program, which offers free, voluntary, confidential support and referrals. Waypoint NH is one local provider. 211 NH can also connect families with local programs. The difference is that those services work on a referral basis (one program at a time, one conversation at a time) while a guide puts the complete picture in one document you keep.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply for all these benefits at once?

FANF, SNAP, and Medicaid can all be initiated through BFA Form 800. The Child Care Scholarship can also be requested through NH EASY or a local DHHS District Office; WIC is applied for through local WIC agencies. Emergency assistance is applied for directly through the relevant organization (town welfare office, Step Up Parents, ServiceLink).

What if I've already been denied one benefit?

A denial for one program does not affect your eligibility for others. SNAP denial doesn't disqualify you from FANF. Medicaid denial doesn't affect the Child Care Scholarship. Each program runs its own eligibility determination. If you believe a denial was wrong, you have the right to a fair hearing — the filing deadline is printed on the denial notice.

How long does it take to get approved?

FANF and MAGI Medicaid eligibility determinations can take up to 45 days; SNAP determinations can take up to 30 days, with expedited processing available for eligible households. The Child Care Scholarship depends on funding availability and provider enrollment.

Do I need a guardianship order to apply?

No. The core programs — FANF, SNAP, Medicaid, WIC, and the Child Care Scholarship — are all available to informal caregivers with no court order. A guardianship under RSA 463 can open access to additional programs, but it is not required for the main benefit applications.

What documents should I bring to the DHHS office?

DHHS may ask you to verify age and identity, income, New Hampshire residency, and other program-specific factors. The specific documents vary by program and by how you're applying (in person, by mail, or through NH EASY). You can submit a signed application with the applicant's name and address even if other information is not ready. The guide includes a Document Verification Checklist listing records that may be needed across applications.

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