Kinship-ND Eligibility Requirements in North Dakota

The Four Conditions

Kinship-ND eligibility is simpler than most people expect. There's no income test, no asset limit, and no requirement for a court order. You must meet four conditions:

1. North Dakota resident — you live in the state
2. Minor child in your home — the child is under 18, lives with you full-time, and is in your care
3. Not your biological child — you're a grandparent, aunt, uncle, sibling, cousin, or other relative (including fictive kin)
4. Parents not in the household — the child's biological parents don't live in your home

That's the entire eligibility framework. If all four are true, you qualify for Kinship-ND navigation services, the $800 expense reimbursement, and access to the $2,500 guardianship legal fund.

What Disqualifies You

One situation clearly disqualifies you: if you're a licensed foster parent receiving foster care maintenance payments for this specific child, you cannot receive Kinship-ND financial assistance for that child at the same time. The program is designed for caregivers operating outside the formal foster care system.

If the child's parents live in the same home — even temporarily — you also don't meet the fourth condition. This comes up when a parent moves back in during recovery from substance use or after release from incarceration. During that period, the Kinship-ND criteria aren't met. If the parent later leaves again, you can re-apply.

No Income Test Means No Income Test

This is worth emphasizing because it trips up caregivers who are used to TANF and SNAP rules. Kinship-ND does not evaluate your income, your savings, your pension, or your employment status. A grandparent earning a professional salary qualifies on the same terms as a grandparent on Social Security alone.

The listed Kinship-ND eligibility criteria do not include an income or asset test. HHS describes the financial assistance as limited, so meeting the navigation criteria does not guarantee that every fund is available when you apply.

How Kinship-ND Differs from TANF Eligibility

TANF child-only and Kinship-ND serve overlapping populations but use different eligibility rules. TANF child-only compares countable income with the Basic Standard of Need for the child-only unit; the current standard is $366 per month for a one-child unit with no eligible caretaker, with other amounts for larger units. Kinship-ND has no financial test in its listed eligibility criteria.

You can receive both at the same time. Many caregivers enroll in Kinship-ND first (via SFN 408), then apply for TANF child-only through their Human Service Zone with their navigator's help.

Legal Arrangements and Eligibility

Every common kinship legal arrangement qualifies:

• Informal care (no paperwork, just the child living with you) — eligible
• Power of Attorney under N.D.C.C. 30.1-26-04 — eligible
• District Court guardianship — eligible
• Juvenile Court guardianship — eligible
• Tribal court custody or guardianship — eligible

The only arrangement that disqualifies is licensed foster care. If you're considering becoming a licensed foster parent to access foster care payments, be aware that doing so closes the door to Kinship-ND financial supports for that child.

For the complete eligibility breakdown of every program — Kinship-ND, TANF, SNAP, Medicaid, CCAP, and the guardianship fund — with side-by-side comparisons and a document checklist, the North Dakota Kinship Financial Help guide covers each one.

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