Mississippi TANF Required Documents Checklist for Kinship Caregivers

Most application delays at Mississippi MDHS offices happen for the same reason: the caregiver shows up without the right paperwork, the caseworker sends them home, and it takes another trip — sometimes two or three — before the file is complete. For grandparents who rely on someone else for transportation or who live an hour from the county office, each extra trip is a real burden.

Here is what to bring the first time.

Documents for Your MDHS Interview

Child Identification and Age

• Official birth certificate — MDHS uses this to verify the child's age, citizenship, and parentage.
• If no birth certificate is available: a US passport or Consular Report of Birth.

Your Identification

• Mississippi driver's license or state ID — proves your identity and Mississippi residency.
• If you don't have a state ID: a utility bill in your name, a bank statement, or a lease/mortgage document showing your Mississippi address. MDHS needs to verify you live in the state.

Proof of Relationship to the Child

• Birth certificates showing the family connection. If you are the child's grandmother, bring the child's birth certificate (showing the parent) and the parent's birth certificate (showing you). If you are an aunt or uncle, bring the birth certificates that trace the connection through a shared parent.
• Marriage certificates, if the relationship runs through marriage.
• Paternity orders, if applicable.

Proof of the Child's Residence With You

This is the document that causes the most confusion. MDHS needs to know the child actually lives in your home. You do not need legal custody, but you do need some evidence:

• School enrollment records showing your address as the child's residence
• Medical-consent affidavit identifying you as the child's caregiver
• A signed written statement from you declaring that the child lives in your home, with the approximate date the child came to live with you
• Mail addressed to the child at your address (if available)

A caregiver affidavit or landlord residency statement may also help document the arrangement. MDHS may ask for additional verification.

Child's Income (If Any)

• Child support disbursement records — any direct payments the child receives in their own name
• SSA award letter — if the child receives Social Security survivor or disability benefits
• Trust or account statements — if the child has a bank account or trust with income

Report any countable assets the child owns as well as income. For one eligible child with zero countable income, the maximum monthly grant is $112 if the child meets the asset rules.

Your Income (Usually Not Required, But Bring It)

In a child-only case, your income is excluded from the calculation. But some caseworkers ask for it anyway during the interview — either because they are processing your application alongside a SNAP application (where your income does count) or because they are not familiar with child-only rules. Bringing your Social Security award letter or pension statement avoids a second trip and gives you the documentation to push back if the caseworker incorrectly counts your income.

Shelter and Utility Documentation (For SNAP)

If you are applying for SNAP at the same visit — and you should, since it is the same office — bring:

• Lease agreement or mortgage statement
• Utility bills (electric, gas, water)
• Property tax bill (if you own your home)

These documents are used to calculate the SNAP shelter deduction. For households with a member aged 60 or older, the shelter deduction cap is removed, so documenting high housing costs directly increases your food stamp benefit.

Tips for the Visit

• Bring copies of everything. Keep the originals. If you hand over originals and the file gets misplaced, you have no backup.
• Write down the caseworker's name and the date. If your application stalls, you need to know who has the file.
• Ask for a receipt or confirmation number when you submit documents. If you fax anything, keep the fax confirmation page.
• Bring a folder or envelope with everything organized. Caseworkers process dozens of applications a week — a well-organized file moves faster.

Our Mississippi Kinship Financial Help guide includes a printable document assembly checklist and a submission log template designed specifically for kinship caregivers applying for multiple programs at once.

See more Mississippi guides →