Maryland Financial Help for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

You stepped in when your grandchild or relative's child needed someone — and now the grocery bills, school supplies, and doctor visits are adding up. Maryland has several financial programs specifically available to relatives raising children, and most do not require you to have a court custody order.

Cash Help: The TCA Child-Only Grant

The Temporary Cash Assistance program lets a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or other relative apply for a monthly cash grant on behalf of the child alone. Under the child-only pathway, Maryland evaluates only the child's income — your Social Security, pension, wages, and savings are completely excluded. There is no asset limit.

Monthly maximums effective October 1, 2026: $348 for one child, $612 for two, and $773 for three. When no children of your own are in the assistance unit, the grant has no work requirement for you and child-only months do not count toward your TANF time limit. The grant runs until the child turns 18 (or 19 if still in high school). Apply through MarylandBenefits.gov or at your local Department of Social Services.

Food: SNAP and WIC

The Food Supplement Program (Maryland's name for SNAP) works differently from TCA — it counts the entire household's income, including yours. The gross income limit is 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. Your SNAP benefit is calculated after deductions for shelter costs, dependent care, and (if you are 60 or older) medical expenses exceeding $35 per month. Even with retirement income counted, many kinship households qualify because the deductions bring net income below the threshold.

If the child is under 5, WIC provides supplemental formula, milk, fruits, vegetables, and cereal on a separate eWIC card. Grandparents can apply for WIC directly — no custody order needed — and a child already on Medicaid or SNAP is automatically income-eligible.

Children receiving TCA or SNAP are directly certified for free school breakfast and lunch without a separate application.

Health Coverage: MCHP and Medicaid

The Maryland Children's Health Program covers children up to 322% of the Federal Poverty Level. If you do not claim the child as a tax dependent, the child's income is evaluated alone — a child with zero income qualifies for full no-cost Medicaid regardless of how much you earn. No custody order is needed. Apply through Maryland Health Connection or MarylandBenefits.gov.

Once approved, children get 12 months of continuous coverage, protecting against closure from minor income fluctuations. Coverage includes primary care, dental, vision, prescriptions, and mental health services through the HealthChoice managed care network.

Childcare: The Child Care Scholarship

If you are working, in school, or incapacitated, the MSDE Child Care Scholarship helps eligible families pay licensed childcare costs on a sliding scale. Maryland has a partial enrollment freeze and waitlist; kinship status or hardship alone does not bypass it. The freeze has exceptions for TCA/TANF or SSI recipients, children with an enrolled sibling, certain recently unemployed people or government furloughees, child care workers, and homeless children, if they meet the other CCS criteria. Other eligible applicants are waitlisted, with awards prioritized by financial need, qualifying child care work, enrolling a child under 3, then time on the waitlist.

The Subsidized Guardianship Assistance Program

If a child was formally placed with you by the local DSS as a foster placement, and you were licensed as a resource family for at least six consecutive months, you may qualify for the Subsidized Guardianship Assistance Program (GAP). GAP provides monthly payments up to the foster care board rate after guardianship is finalized. This is a different path from informal kinship care — it requires prior child welfare involvement and foster licensing.

Emergency Resources

For immediate crises — an eviction notice, a utility shutoff, a child arriving with nothing — contact your local DSS or dial 211. The Kinship Navigator program provides flexible emergency funds for urgent needs like bedding, clothing, and school supplies. The Maryland Energy Assistance Program (MEAP) and Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP) can help with utility bills.

Putting It All Together

The complete Maryland guide maps every program to your situation, provides the exact forms and documents you need for each application, and includes tracking worksheets so nothing falls through the cracks during the weeks it takes to hear back from multiple agencies.

See more Maryland guides →