Minnesota Kinship Caregiver Document Checklist: What to Bring When Applying for Benefits

File First, Gather Second

The biggest mistake kinship caregivers make is waiting until they have every document before applying. In Minnesota, your application date is your protective filing date — benefits are calculated from that date forward. Every week you spend hunting for a birth certificate is a week of benefits you won't receive.

Submit the application through MNbenefits (mnbenefits.mn.gov) or file a paper Combined Application Form (DHS-5223) at your county office. Then gather and submit verification documents. You have 30 days before the application processing deadline, and the county will tell you exactly what's still needed.

The Core Document List

These cover MFIP child-only, Medical Assistance, and SNAP applications:

Child's identity and age

• Birth certificate (hospital birth record or passport also accepted)
• If unavailable, the county can verify through Minnesota Vital Statistics electronic records

Child's Social Security number

• SSN card or proof that an application has been filed with SSA
• The county can match electronically if the card is missing

Proof of kinship relationship

• Birth certificates linking you to the child through an intermediate parent (your birth certificate + the child's, showing the connection)
• Adoption decree if the relationship is through adoption
• Marriage certificate if the relationship is through marriage

Minnesota residency

• Lease agreement, utility bill, driver's license, or a written statement from the caregiver

Absence of parents

• A written statement confirming the child's biological or adoptive parents do not live in your household

Child's income verification (if any)

• Social Security Survivor or Disability benefit award letters
• Child support payment statements
• Trust income documentation
• If the child has no income, state that on the application

Program-Specific Add-Ons

For CCAP (childcare assistance): Complete the Child Care Addendum (Form DHS-5223D) and provide documentation of your work or school hours plus provider information.

For child support cooperation: Complete Form DHS-2338 identifying the child's non-custodial parents, or claim a Good Cause Exception on the same form if contact would be unsafe.

For Northstar Kinship Assistance: The document requirements are handled through the county social worker and juvenile court — this is a separate track with its own paperwork chain.

When Records Are Missing

Don't let missing documents stop you. County agencies are required to assist applicants in securing records. The MAXIS computer system can run electronic data matches with:

• Minnesota Department of Health Vital Statistics (birth records)
• Social Security Administration (SSN verification)
• Interstate record systems for children born in other states

Ask your eligibility worker to initiate these matches. Emergency processing should not be delayed while physical documents are in transit.

Proving the Relationship

The trickiest document requirement for many kinship families is proving the relationship. You need to show the link between you and the child — which often means showing the link between you, the child's parent, and the child.

For a grandmother raising a grandchild: your birth certificate (showing you as parent of the child's parent) plus the child's birth certificate (showing the child's parent) creates the chain.

If the intermediate parent's birth certificate names a different surname or if documentation gaps exist, a sworn affidavit from family members, school records listing you as the child's caregiver, or medical records showing the child at your address can supplement the paper trail.

Recertification Documents

After initial approval, you'll need to file a Combined Six-Month Report (DHS-5576) twice a year, confirming the child still lives with you and reporting any changes in the child's income. Full annual recertification requires a fresh set of income verification.

Our Minnesota Kinship Financial Help Guide includes a printable document preparation checklist organized by program — so you can check off what you have, identify what's missing, and bring everything the county needs in one trip.

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