DCFS Louisiana Kinship Care Financial Assistance

What DCFS Actually Handles

Louisiana's Department of Children and Family Services wears two hats in kinship care, and confusing them causes problems.

The child welfare side of DCFS manages protective services — investigations, court-ordered removals, foster care placements, and the formal kinship foster care system. If a child was placed with you through a Child in Need of Care (CINC) proceeding, DCFS is your child's legal custodian and you are the certified foster placement. Your caseworker, your foster board payments, and your KGSP (Kinship Guardianship Subsidy Program) eligibility all run through this branch.

The economic stability side — jointly administered with the Louisiana Department of Health — handles the benefit programs most private kinship caregivers interact with: KCSP ($450/month per child), child-only FITAP ($240/month for one child, $590 for four, plus $95 for each additional child), SNAP, and Medicaid/LaCHIP. Applications go through the CAFÉ portal, not through a child welfare caseworker.

The distinction matters because many grandparents assume they need a DCFS caseworker to get financial help. If the child arrived through a private family arrangement — not a court removal — you are applying for public benefits through the economic stability system, not entering the child welfare system.

How to Contact DCFS for Benefits

For KCSP, FITAP, SNAP, and Medicaid questions:

• Phone: 1-888-LAHELP-U (1-888-524-3578)
• Online: CAFÉ Self-Service Portal at cafe.dcfs.la.gov
• In person: your parish DCFS office (search "DCFS parish office" on the DCFS website for the nearest location)
• Mail/fax: DCFS Document Processing Center, P.O. Box 260031, Baton Rouge, LA 70826

For child welfare questions (court placements, foster care, KGSP):

• Contact your assigned DCFS caseworker directly
• After hours: the DCFS Child Protection Hotline at 1-855-4LA-KIDS (1-855-452-5437)

What to Expect During the Application Process

After you submit an application through CAFÉ or a parish office, a caseworker reviews your documentation within 30 calendar days. They may contact you to request additional verification — respond quickly, because delays can push your case past the processing window.

For KCSP specifically, the caseworker verifies:

• Your relationship to the child (within the fifth degree of kinship)
• That the biological parent does not live in your home
• Your household income against the 150% FPL threshold
• That the child is not receiving SSI or foster care board payments
• That you hold legal custody or a Provisional Custody by Mandate

Keep a log of every caseworker interaction: the date, who you spoke with, what they requested, and what you submitted. If a verification request gets lost in the system — which happens — that log is your evidence.

The 2027 Administrative Transfer

Under Acts 2025, No. 478, KCSP administration is scheduled to move from DCFS/LDH to Louisiana Works on October 1, 2027. Through September 30, 2027, applications, renewals, and supporting verification documents continue through the existing LDH/DCFS channels and CAFÉ.

For a complete breakdown of every financial program available to Louisiana kinship caregivers — and the documents each one requires — the Louisiana Kinship Financial Help guide covers the full landscape in one place.

See more Louisiana guides →