Indiana Kinship Financial Help: KISS, DCS Support, and Navigator Services

Taking in a relative's child means your grocery bill, utility costs, and household needs just expanded overnight — usually without any advance planning. Indiana has several support programs specifically for kinship caregivers, but they're scattered across different agencies and most people don't know where to start.

Kinship Indiana Support Services (KISS)

KISS is Indiana's dedicated helpline for relative caregivers, operated through the Department of Child Services. They connect grandparents and other relatives with local resources, answer questions about navigating state systems, and provide guidance on accessing services.

• Helpline: 800-800-5556
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: in.gov/dcs/foster-care/kinship-indiana-support-services/

KISS's primary focus is formal foster care placements and state-involved kinship arrangements. If your arrangement is informal, contact KISS to ask what referrals are available for your situation.

What KISS Can Help With

Regional KISS navigators help relative caregivers access community resources. Contact KISS to ask what referrals are available for your circumstances.

Other Financial Support Channels

Indiana 211: Dial 2-1-1 for a statewide referral service that connects you with food banks, utility assistance, housing programs, and emergency aid in your county.

Area Agencies on Aging (AAA): If you're a grandparent, your local AAA may offer grandparent-specific support groups, respite care, and emergency assistance. The statewide line is 1-800-986-3505, or find your regional agency at in.gov/fssa/da/area-agencies-on-aging.

Indiana Legal Services (ILS): Free civil legal representation is available to qualifying low-income caregivers. Call 1-844-243-8570 to ask whether they can assist with a benefits dispute or school enrollment refusal; services depend on eligibility and case capacity.

Important Distinction: Informal vs. Formal Kinship Care

The level of financial support you can access depends on whether DCS is involved:

Informal kinship care (no DCS case): You're raising the child through a private family arrangement. You can apply for Child-Only TANF and Medicaid for the child through FSSA, but you won't receive DCS per diem foster care payments. SNAP eligibility and benefit calculations follow program rules.

Formal DCS placement: DCS has removed the child and placed them in your home through a court process. You receive placement documents, casework support, and may qualify for per diem foster care payments. To receive ongoing financial support through KinGAP (Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program), you must first become a licensed foster parent and care for the child under DCS supervision for at least six consecutive months.

Most readers of this article are in the informal category. That's fine — the child's medical, educational, and benefits access doesn't depend on DCS involvement.

For detailed guidance on Medicaid, TANF, and SNAP eligibility as a kinship caregiver, our Indiana Kinship Financial Help Guide covers each program step by step. For school and medical consent questions — how to get the child enrolled and into a doctor's office — the Indiana School and Medical Consent Guide has what you need.

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