NC DSS Application for Grandchild Benefits: Which Office, What to Bring, and What to Expect

Which County DSS Office to Contact

North Carolina has 100 county Departments of Social Services, and the child's application goes to the county where you — the caregiver — live. Not where the child's parents live, not where the child was born, not where the child went to school before moving in with you.

If you live in Wake County, you apply at the Wake County DSS. If you're in a rural county like McDowell or Onslow, you go to that county's office. Each county processes its own applications, assigns its own caseworkers, and makes its own eligibility determinations under state guidelines.

To find your county DSS office, search "[your county] Department of Social Services North Carolina" or call NC 211. The operator can give you the address, phone number, and office hours.

Three Ways to Apply

You don't have to walk into an office. North Carolina accepts benefit applications three ways.

Online through ePASS (epass.nc.gov): Create an enhanced account to track your application and upload documents. One application covers Work First, FNS (food stamps), and Medicaid simultaneously.

In person: Walk into your county DSS during business hours. Bring your documents — the caseworker may be able to start your eligibility interview the same day if caseloads allow. Urban counties like Wake and Mecklenburg have high volumes and longer wait times. Rural counties may have travel barriers and limited staff.

By mail, fax, or drop-box: Request the paper form for each program from your county DSS or print it from the NCDHHS website. Work First uses Form DSS-8124, FNS uses Form DSS-8200, and Medicaid uses Form DHB-2000. Fill out the applicable forms, attach copies of your documents, and submit them by mail, fax, or the office's secure drop-box. The processing period starts when DSS receives a signed application.

What Documents DSS Needs

The required documents depend on which programs you're applying for, but as a kinship caregiver applying for the child-only Work First grant, Medicaid, and food stamps, expect to provide:

• Proof of identity: Your driver's license or state ID
• Proof of kinship: Birth certificates showing your relationship to the child (yours, the child's parent's, and the child's), or a sworn statement of relationship
• Proof the child lives with you: School enrollment records showing your address, a letter from the child's school, utility bills, or a landlord statement
• The child's Social Security number (or proof you've applied for one)
• Income and resource documentation: Your pay stubs, Social Security award letter, or pension statement (for FNS/food stamps); any income or countable resources in the child's name (survivor benefits, child support, or a bank account — for Work First child-only)
• Shelter costs: Rent receipt or mortgage statement, utility bills (for the FNS excess shelter deduction)

If you don't have birth certificates to prove kinship, DSS can use alternative verification such as a sworn third-party affidavit, hospital birth footprint, baptismal certificate, or school record. Ask the caseworker what establishes the kinship link in your case.

The Eligibility Interview

After DSS receives your application, a caseworker contacts you to schedule an eligibility interview. Work First requires an interview, and county DSS offices permit phone interviews for kinship caregivers upon request. You don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare to sit in a waiting room.

During the interview, the caseworker asks about the child's living situation, your household composition, income sources, and expenses. They're determining which programs the child qualifies for and at what level. Be honest and thorough — omitting information doesn't help you and can cause a denial or overpayment that you'd have to repay later.

Processing Timelines

Work First and Medicaid applications: up to 45 calendar days from receipt of the signed application. FNS/SNAP applications: up to 30 calendar days (7 days for expedited cases). Check the Medicaid decision notice for the coverage effective date.

If DSS hasn't made a decision within these windows, call your caseworker and ask for an update and whether any documents are outstanding.

Our North Carolina Kinship Financial Help Guide includes a pre-assembled document checklist organized by program so you can walk into DSS — or submit through ePASS — with everything they need on the first try.

See more North Carolina guides →