Indiana Grandparent Raising Grandchild: Medicaid, TANF, and SNAP Benefits

The child just moved in and they need health coverage, groceries, and basic supplies. You don't have a court order. Can you still get benefits? Yes — Indiana allows relative caregivers to apply for several programs without formal guardianship.

Medicaid / Hoosier Healthwise

Indiana's Medicaid program for children is called Hoosier Healthwise. As a relative caregiver, you can apply for Medicaid on behalf of a child living in your home through fssabenefits.in.gov or at your local Division of Family Resources (DFR) office.

You'll apply as the child's representative. Ask DFR which household and income information it needs under the program's eligibility rules. Once approved, you can choose a Managed Care Entity (Anthem, MDwise, or Managed Health Services) and request the child's member card.

With that card and valid consent authority — a power of attorney under IC 29-3-9-1 or proxy consent under IC 16-36-1-5 — you can take the child to pediatric appointments, fill prescriptions, and manage their coverage.

Child-Only TANF

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) has a "Child-Only" track designed for kinship situations. When a relative caregiver applies for TANF on behalf of the child, only the child's income and assets are evaluated — your household income doesn't factor in.

This makes Child-Only TANF accessible to working grandparents and relatives who wouldn't qualify for standard TANF based on their own income. Apply through fssabenefits.in.gov or your local DFR office.

The benefit amount is modest, but it helps offset the sudden household expansion — food, clothing, school supplies, and other basics for the child.

SNAP (Food Stamps)

You can apply for SNAP through fssabenefits.in.gov, but adding a child does not automatically increase your benefit. SNAP household membership and benefit amounts are determined under program rules; ask DFR what documentation it needs for your household.

Apply at fssabenefits.in.gov and follow the current verification instructions. Ask DFR which documents it needs to verify the child's living arrangement.

Foster Care Payments: When They're Available

Kinship foster care payments through DCS are available only in formal placements — situations where DCS has removed the child through a court process and placed them in your home. Informal kinship caregivers (no DCS involvement) do not receive per diem foster care payments.

To access the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP) for ongoing financial support, you must first become a licensed foster parent and care for the child as a licensed kinship foster placement under DCS court supervision for at least six consecutive months, then obtain legal guardianship. This is a longer process with specific requirements — not every family chooses this route.

Getting Help With Applications

If the benefits system feels overwhelming, these resources can walk you through it:

• KISS Helpline (800-800-5556): Kinship Indiana Support Services can connect you with a navigator who helps with applications
• Indiana 211 (dial 2-1-1): County-specific referrals for emergency food, utility assistance, and benefits help
• Area Agencies on Aging (1-800-986-3505): If you're an older caregiver, your local AAA may offer direct assistance with benefits applications

The Indiana Kinship Financial Help Guide covers each benefit program in detail. For help getting the child enrolled in school and authorized for medical care — the steps that often come first — see the Indiana School and Medical Consent Guide.

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