Kinship Connections of Wyoming: Free Help for Relative Caregivers

What Kinship Connections of Wyoming Does

Kinship Connections of Wyoming (KCW) is the state's primary kinship navigator program. It is not a government agency and does not control benefit eligibility. Instead, KCW connects relative caregivers — grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings — with the programs and services they need but may not know exist.

The fastest way to reach them is by dialing 2-1-1. You can also visit kcowyo.org online. KCW is operated in partnership with Wyoming 211 and funded by the Wyoming Department of Family Services.

Services Available

KCW navigators can help with:

Benefit referrals — pointing you toward the POWER Caretaker Relative grant, SNAP food assistance, Kid Care CHIP, Medicaid, ECARES childcare subsidies, and LIEAP heating assistance. They do not make eligibility decisions, but they can explain which agencies handle which programs and help you understand what paperwork to prepare.

Peer support — connecting you with other kinship caregivers in Wyoming who are going through similar experiences. Raising a grandchild or niece unexpectedly is isolating, particularly in rural communities where the nearest support group might be two counties away.

Temporary care guidance — if a child has just arrived in your home and you are still figuring out the legal and financial landscape, navigators can walk you through the immediate steps: what to do about school enrollment, how to get the child to a doctor, and where to apply for emergency food or utility help.

Community referrals — connections to legal aid, emergency assistance programs, food pantries, and local organizations that may offer additional support.

Title III-E Services for Older Caregivers

In Johnson, Laramie, and Sheridan counties, relatives aged 55 or older who are raising a grandchild or related child aged 17 or younger may also qualify for services through the National Family Caregiver Support Program (Title III-E of the Older Americans Act), coordinated by the Wyoming Department of Health's Aging Division. These services include:

Respite care — short-term childcare funded so that you can take a break. This is not daily childcare; it is periodic relief designed to prevent caregiver burnout. Contact your local senior center or area agency on aging to access it.

Case management and counseling — help organizing your care responsibilities and addressing the emotional weight of raising a child in your retirement years.

Legal referrals — connections to free or low-cost legal assistance for guardianship questions, benefit denials, or school enrollment disputes.

The Laramie County Senior Activity Center is one provider, and Community Action of Laramie County (CALC) offers its own kinship support services in Cheyenne — though CALC's program is restricted to Laramie County residents and requires the caregiver to be 55 or older.

Legal Aid of Wyoming

For legal questions that go beyond what a navigator can answer — filing for guardianship, appealing a benefit denial, dealing with a child support order — Legal Aid of Wyoming provides free civil legal assistance to income-eligible residents. Their statewide legal hotline is 1-877-432-9955, operating Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 4 PM.

Legal Aid can help with guardianship petitions, custody issues, and administrative hearings. They cannot help with criminal matters or cases where you already have an attorney.

When a Navigator Is Not Enough

KCW and Title III-E services provide orientation and support, but they do not replace the detailed program-by-program navigation that a kinship caregiver needs to actually secure benefits. Navigators can tell you that POWER exists; they cannot sit with you and calculate whether your grandchild's Social Security survivor benefit reduces the grant, or explain exactly which documents to bring to a DFS interview.

The Wyoming Kinship Financial Help Guide fills that gap — covering every program's income rules, application steps, document checklists, and renewal deadlines in one place, designed specifically for relatives raising a child in Wyoming.

See more Wyoming guides →