NH FANF Child-Only Grant for Relative Caregivers

Your grandchild just moved in, and you're already covering groceries, clothes, and school supplies on a fixed income. The good news: New Hampshire's FANF child-only cash grant was built for exactly this situation — and your personal income doesn't count against the child's eligibility.

What FANF Child-Only Actually Means

FANF stands for Financial Assistance to Needy Families, New Hampshire's version of the federal TANF program. The Bureau of Family Assistance (BFA) administers it through local District Offices statewide.

The child-only pathway — formally called the Family Assistance Program (FAP) for non-needy caretaker relatives — lets a grandparent, aunt, uncle, older sibling, or other qualifying relative receive a monthly cash grant on behalf of the child. The critical distinction: you act as the payee, but you're excluded from the assistance group. BFA tests only the child's income and resources, not yours.

That means your Social Security retirement, pension, wages, or savings have zero effect on whether the child qualifies or how much the grant pays.

How Much the Grant Pays

The monthly amount depends on how many children are in the assistance group and whether the child has any countable income (survivor benefits or child support):

• 1 child: up to $798 per month
• 2 children: up to $1,082 per month
• 3 children: up to $1,366 per month
• 4 children: up to $1,650 per month

The maximum shelter-cost amount in FANF's standard of need is $342. If the child has countable income, BFA subtracts it from the payment standard. A child with zero countable income gets the full amount.

The SSI Household Rule

There's one exception that catches people off guard. Under DHHS Supervisory Release SR 12-09, if anyone in the household receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or State Supplemental Payments, that person's SSI income must be included in the assistance group calculation. This changes the group size and can reduce the monthly grant.

If you receive SSI yourself, the grant doesn't disappear — the calculation just shifts. A grandfather receiving $200 per month in SSI caring for one grandchild would see the assistance group become two people, with the grant calculated against the two-person standard minus the $200. Current FANF rules exclude SSI when the recipient is a dependent child.

Who Qualifies as a Non-Needy Caretaker Relative

BFA requires the caregiver to be a specified relative of the child — grandparent, aunt, uncle, sibling, or another relation defined in program rules — or a court-appointed guardian. Fictive kin (close non-relatives with an established bond) qualify only if the child has been formally placed by DCYF.

You don't need a court order to apply. Informal caregivers — relatives caring for a child without guardianship papers — can submit Form 800 with proof of physical custody and the child's identity documents.

No Work Requirements, No Time Limits

Because you're excluded from the assistance group, the rules that apply to adult TANF recipients don't apply to you. Months of child-only assistance don't count against any 60-month lifetime limit. You're exempt from New Hampshire Employment Program (NHEP) work registration. BFA cannot impose work-related sanctions against the grant.

How to Apply

File BFA Form 800 (Application for Assistance) through one of four channels: online at NH EASY (nheasy.nh.gov), by mail or fax to your local District Office, by phone at 1-844-ASK-DHHS (1-844-275-3447), or in person. Filing establishes your protected application date, so submit the form even if you're still gathering documents — BFA gives you 10 days to provide missing proof.

For the child, you'll need a birth certificate, Social Security number, proof of citizenship or immigration status, and documentation of any child income. For yourself, you'll need proof of NH residency and documentation showing your relationship to the child.

BFA must process FANF applications within 45 days.

What Happens Next

Once approved, benefits arrive electronically — by direct deposit or EBT card. You'll need to complete a redetermination (Form 800R) every 6 to 12 months and report household changes within 10 days.

If a case gets closed for procedural reasons (like missing a redetermination), BFA can reopen it without a new application if you submit the missing paperwork within 30 days of closure.

The child-only FANF grant is one piece of the financial picture. The complete New Hampshire kinship financial help guide walks through every program — SNAP, Medicaid, Child Care Scholarships, emergency funds, and guardianship assistance — with the documents you need and the forms to file for each one.

See more New Hampshire guides →