Nevada Kinship Care Program Requirements (Aid Code COK)

Nevada runs two separate cash assistance tracks for relatives raising a child, and most people only hear about the first one. The Kinship Care Program — processed under Aid Code COK — pays more per month and reimburses legal fees, but it has requirements the standard Child-Only TANF track does not.

How COK Differs from Standard Child-Only TANF

Standard Child-Only TANF (Aid Code CON) is available to any relative within the 5th degree of consanguinity, regardless of age, and requires no court order. Payments range from $254 to $518 per month depending on the number of children.

The Kinship Care Program (Aid Code COK) pays higher rates: $418 per month for a child aged 0–12 and $463 per month for a child aged 13 or older. With two or more children, the per-child rate is $401 (ages 0–12) or $463 (ages 13+). These rates are significantly above the standard CON payment schedule.

COK also includes a legal fee reimbursement of up to $750 for independent legal counsel used to finalize court guardianship — money that partly offsets the cost of hiring an attorney for the guardianship petition.

The Four COK Requirements

1. Age 62 or older. The caregiver must be at least 62 years old. There is no workaround for this — younger relatives must use the standard CON track.

2. Court-approved legal guardianship. The caregiver must hold a formal guardianship order from a Nevada district court under NRS Chapter 159A. Short-term parental-delegated guardianship under NRS 159A.205 does not satisfy this requirement.

3. Six consecutive months of care. The child must have lived with the caregiver for at least six consecutive months before the COK application.

4. Income at or below 275% FPL. The same gross household income threshold as standard Child-Only TANF. For a two-person household, this is approximately $60,000 per year. Once qualified, the caregiver's income and assets are excluded from the child's grant calculation.

An additional requirement: the caregiver must have been previously approved for Non-Needy Relative Caretaker TANF (the CON track) before moving to COK.

The Legal Fee Reimbursement

DWSS reimburses up to $750 of the costs a caregiver incurs for independent legal counsel when obtaining guardianship. This applies to attorney fees paid to finalize the court guardianship petition — not to ongoing legal representation. Keep receipts and invoices from the attorney to submit with your reimbursement request.

Separately, if the child was placed with you by a child welfare agency and you qualify for KinGAP (Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program under NRS 432B.621–432B.626), non-recurring guardianship expenses up to $2,000 per child are reimbursable.

COK vs. KinGAP — They Are Different Programs

COK is a TANF-funded program administered by DWSS for relatives who independently obtained guardianship. KinGAP is a child welfare program for relatives who took guardianship of a child formally placed through the foster care system by CCDFS, WCHSA, or DCFS.

KinGAP requires the child to have been removed from the home by a child welfare agency, placed with the relative as a licensed kinship foster parent for at least six months, and the court to have determined that reunification and adoption are not appropriate. KinGAP payments are negotiated up to the foster care rate (averaging around $591 per month) and include automatic Medicaid eligibility.

Most grandparents raising grandchildren through family arrangements — where no child welfare agency was involved — will be on the COK or CON track, not KinGAP.

The Path from CON to COK

If you are 62 or older and currently receiving standard Child-Only TANF under Aid Code CON, here is the typical sequence:

1. Continue receiving CON benefits while you pursue court guardianship.
2. File a guardianship petition with the district court in your county. Use the Family Law Self-Help Center (Las Vegas or Reno) for forms and self-help classes if you cannot afford an attorney.
3. After the court enters the guardianship order and you have been caring for the child for six consecutive months, apply to DWSS to switch from CON to COK.
4. Submit your attorney receipts for the $750 legal fee reimbursement.

Our Nevada Kinship Financial Help Guide includes a side-by-side comparison of CON, COK, and KinGAP — eligibility, payment amounts, documentation, and the exact steps to move between tracks as your care arrangement changes.

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