Nebraska ADC Child-Only Grant for Relative Caregivers

Nebraska's ADC child-only grant is the single most important cash benefit for grandparents and relatives who suddenly find themselves raising a child. It puts monthly cash in your hands for the child's basic needs, and the best part: your own income doesn't count.

How the Child-Only Grant Works

Under Nebraska's Aid to Dependent Children (ADC) program, a relative caregiver can apply as a "non-needy relative payee." That phrase matters because it means DHHS evaluates only the child's financial situation. Your Social Security retirement, your pension, your part-time job earnings — all of it is completely disregarded when determining whether the child qualifies.

If the child has no countable income and meets the other ADC eligibility rules, no child income reduces the maximum payment for the eligible unit.

The child's own countable income includes things like Social Security survivor benefits paid on a deceased or disabled parent's record, child support received directly, or trust distributions. Those dollars reduce the grant amount. If the child has no countable income and meets the other ADC eligibility rules, no child income reduces the maximum payment for the eligible unit.

Grant Amounts (July 2026 Standard)

Nebraska updated its ADC payment standard under Legislative Bill 304, effective July 1, 2026. Maximum monthly payments are capped at 55% of the standard of need:

• 1 child: up to $623/month
• 2 children: up to $839/month
• 3 children: up to $1,055/month
• Each additional child: roughly $216 more per month

Payments arrive monthly on the Nebraska ReliaCard (a prepaid debit card) or through direct deposit. If your application is approved mid-month, the first payment is prorated from your filing date.

Who Qualifies as a Relative

ADC defines a "specified relative" as a grandparent, great-grandparent, aunt, uncle, adult sibling, adult niece, adult nephew, or first cousin — including step- and half-relations. Family friends (fictive kin) do not qualify for the child-only cash grant, though the child may still be eligible for Medicaid and SNAP.

No Work Requirements, No Time Limit

This is another significant advantage. Non-needy relative payees receiving a child-only grant are exempt from Nebraska's Employment First work participation rules. You don't have to prove you're working or looking for work. And the federal 60-month TANF time limit does not apply to child-only cases — the grant continues as long as the child qualifies.

How to Apply

You can submit an application through the iServe Nebraska portal at iserve.nebraska.gov, by calling 1-800-383-4278, or by mailing paper Form EA-117 to DHHS Economic Assistance at P.O. Box 2992, Omaha, NE 68103-2992.

DHHS needs: the child's birth certificate, Social Security number, proof the child lives with you (lease, utility bill, or school enrollment records), and documentation of any income the child receives. If you have a power of attorney under § 30-2603 or a court guardianship order, include a copy — though neither is strictly required for an informal caregiver to apply.

Submitting an application with your name, address, and signature locks in your filing date even before documents are complete. For ADC, a partial-month payment is prorated from that date. DHHS then gives you 10–14 days to supply missing records.

One Thing to Know: Child Support Cooperation

When you apply for ADC, Nebraska requires you to cooperate with the Child Support Enforcement Division to identify the non-custodial parent and enforce a support order. If that process would put you or the child at risk — domestic violence, for example — you can claim a good-cause exemption.

Our Nebraska Financial Help guide explains the child support cooperation rules in detail, including how the 25% grant reduction works if you don't cooperate and exactly how to file for good-cause protection.

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