Kentucky Area Agency on Aging Grants for Kinship Caregivers

Most kinship caregivers in Kentucky know about K-TAP and SNAP. Fewer know about the Family Caregiver Program run by Area Agencies on Aging and Independent Living — a separate funding stream specifically for older relatives raising children, and one that does not go through DCBS at all.

Who Qualifies for the Family Caregiver Program

The program is funded under Title III-E of the Older Americans Act and serves two groups:

• Grandparents and relative caregivers age 55 or older who are the primary caregiver for a child age 18 or under
• Younger caregivers under 55 whose household income falls at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level

The child must live in your home, and you must be the primary person responsible for the child's daily care. You do not need a court order or formal custody arrangement to qualify.

One restriction to know: the program cannot serve families already receiving state Kinship Care payments under the legacy 922 KAR 1:130 program (closed to new applicants since April 2013). K-TAP child-only cash, SNAP, and Medicaid do not disqualify you.

What the Program Provides

This is not a monthly cash benefit. The Family Caregiver Program provides annual grants and services that fill gaps other programs miss:

• Financial vouchers for clothing, school supplies, diapers, and emergency household items
• Respite care — temporary relief so you can attend medical appointments, handle errands, or simply rest
• Caregiver counseling and referrals for stress, grief, or family conflict
• Support groups connecting you with other kinship caregivers in your region
• Gap-filling financial help for urgent one-time expenses like car repairs or utility emergencies

Funding is annual and limited. Each of Kentucky's 15 Area Agencies on Aging covers specific counties, and the available amount varies by region and fiscal year. Apply early — once the allocation is committed, you may wait until the next cycle.

How to Find Your Area Agency

Kentucky's 15 AAILs are organized by region. Contact the one covering your county:

• Barren River Area Development District (BRADD) — Bowling Green and surrounding counties
• Bluegrass ADD — Lexington, Fayette, and central Kentucky
• Buffalo Trace ADD — northeastern counties along the Ohio River
• Cumberland Valley ADD — southeastern Appalachian counties
• FIVCO ADD — Boyd, Greenup, Lawrence, and surrounding counties
• Gateway ADD — Bath, Menifee, Morgan, Rowan, and surrounding counties
• Green River ADD — Owensboro and western central counties
• KIPDA — Louisville metro and surrounding counties
• Kentucky River ADD — eastern mountain counties
• Lake Cumberland ADD — south-central counties
• Lincoln Trail ADD — Elizabethtown and surrounding counties
• Northern Kentucky ADD — Boone, Kenton, Campbell, and surrounding counties
• Pennyrile ADD — Hopkinsville and southwestern counties
• Purchase ADD — Paducah and far western counties
• Big Sandy ADD — Pike, Floyd, Johnson, and surrounding counties

Call your regional AAIL and ask for the Family Caregiver Program intake coordinator. They will walk you through the local application process, which is simpler than the DCBS benefit applications — typically a short form and a conversation about what you need.

How This Fits With Other Benefits

The Family Caregiver Program stacks with K-TAP child-only cash, SNAP, Medicaid/KCHIP, and CCAP. It also stacks with the UK Kinship Resource Center's peer support services and KY-KINS navigator program.

The program fills a specific gap: it helps with the expenses and exhaustion that monthly cash benefits do not cover. K-TAP puts money toward the child's basic needs; the Family Caregiver Program puts support toward keeping you — the caregiver — functional.

For a complete map of every Kentucky kinship benefit and how they interact, see the Financial Help for Grandparents and Relatives Raising a Child in Kentucky guide.

See more Kentucky guides →