NH ServiceLink ADRC: Support for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Most grandparents raising grandchildren in New Hampshire focus on the child's benefits — FANF, Medicaid, SNAP — and never realize there's a separate system designed to help them as older caregivers. ServiceLink can help determine whether you qualify for caregiver support or respite services. Under the Older Americans Act's Title III-E criteria, an older relative caregiver must be 55 or older, live with and be the primary caregiver for a child age 18 or younger, and be a grandparent, stepparent, or other relative by blood, marriage, or adoption who is not the child's parent. The child's biological or adoptive parents must be unable or unwilling to serve as the child's primary caregivers.

What ServiceLink Is

ServiceLink is New Hampshire's network of Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs). They operate as a single-point-of-entry for older adults and people with disabilities who need help navigating services and supports. For grandparent caregivers specifically, ServiceLink's New Hampshire Family Caregiver Support Program provides information, support, and connections to respite and other services. Title III-E of the Older Americans Act — the National Family Caregiver Support Program — is one source of support for eligible older relative caregivers.

The key distinction: ServiceLink serves the caregiver, not the child. While BFA programs like Child-Only FANF and Children's Medicaid are based on the child's eligibility, ServiceLink's caregiver support programs are based on yours.

To meet the federal older-relative-caregiver criteria for Title III-E services, you must be:

• Age 55 or older
• The primary caregiver for a child age 18 or younger who lives with you, because the child's biological or adoptive parents are unable or unwilling to serve as primary caregivers
• The child's grandparent, stepparent, or other relative by blood, marriage, or adoption, and not the child's parent

What Services Are Available

ServiceLink connects eligible grandparent caregivers to several types of support:

Respite care referrals. Respite — having someone else care for the child temporarily so you can rest, handle medical appointments, or manage personal obligations — is one of the most critical needs for older kinship caregivers. ServiceLink helps identify and coordinate respite options, which may include in-home aides, licensed respite providers, or community programs. The respite care guide covers NH-specific options in detail.

Caregiver support programming. This includes information about available services, help with benefit applications, and connections to caregiver support groups and educational workshops.

Medicare and Medicaid counseling. If you're navigating your own health coverage alongside the child's, ServiceLink staff can help you understand your Medicare options, supplemental insurance, and whether you qualify for Medicaid in your own right.

Community resource connections. ServiceLink maintains relationships with local organizations that provide practical assistance — transportation services, meal programs, home modification support, and similar resources for older adults.

How to Reach ServiceLink

ServiceLink operates regional offices across New Hampshire. You can connect through:

• Phone: 1-866-634-9412 (toll-free statewide)
• Website: servicelink.nh.gov
• In person: at any regional ServiceLink office

When you call, explain that you're a grandparent (or relative) raising a grandchild and you'd like to learn what caregiver support services you qualify for. They'll walk you through what's available in your area.

How ServiceLink Fits With Other Kinship Supports

ServiceLink is one piece of a larger support network. Here's how the main systems relate:

DHHS Bureau of Family Assistance (BFA) handles the child's benefits — Child-Only FANF, Children's Medicaid, SNAP, and the Child Care Scholarship. You apply through BFA Form 800 via NH EASY or at a District Office.

The Kinship Navigator Program through Family Resource Centers serves caregivers of any age, providing benefit navigation, peer support, and emergency referrals. This is the broadest support — there are no income or age limits.

ServiceLink adds the caregiver-focused layer for those 55 and older, specifically through Title III-E respite and support services.

603 Legal Aid (1-800-639-5290) provides free civil legal help for income-eligible caregivers who need guardianship assistance or help with benefit appeals.

These systems aren't mutually exclusive. A 62-year-old grandmother raising two grandchildren could be receiving Child-Only FANF for the children through BFA, respite referrals through ServiceLink, and peer support through the Kinship Navigator — all at the same time.

The Bigger Picture

The complete map of programs, forms, and income rules is in the financial help guide for NH kinship caregivers. It covers everything from the child-only cash grant where your retirement income is excluded, through emergency assistance, childcare subsidies, and the appeal process if benefits are denied.

ServiceLink is the part of the system that remembers you're a person too — not just the person filling out the child's paperwork.

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