Ohio Financial Help for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Every Program in One Place

The Money Is There — Scattered Across Five Agencies

Ohio has at least eight distinct programs that put money, food, health coverage, or emergency help into the hands of grandparents raising a child. The problem is that no single agency tells you about all of them. County JFS handles cash and food. The PCSA handles kinship-specific programs. The Department of Children and Youth oversees some. The Department of Medicaid covers health. And OhioKAN ties together what falls through the cracks.

Here's what's available, sorted by how quickly each one can start paying.

Cash Help

Ohio Works First (OWF) Child-Only Grant — $382 a month for one child, $507 for two, $623 for three. Your income doesn't count. Only the child's income (like child support or survivor benefits) is tested. Apply through your county CDJFS using Form JFS 07200 or online at ssp.benefits.ohio.gov. No court order needed. No time limit. No work requirement.

Kinship Support Program (KSP) — $10.20 per day per child (~$306–$316/mo) for up to six months. Only available when a PCSA places a child in your home during a child welfare case. Payments are automatic through the SACWIS system. No application needed.

Kinship Permanency Incentive (KPI) — Up to eight payments across 36 months once you have a court order for legal custody or guardianship (granted after July 2005). Income must be at or below 300% of the federal poverty level. Apply through the PCSA and re-verify every six months.

Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KGAP) — Negotiated monthly payment up to the full foster care per diem rate. Requires six months of licensed relative foster care before the court order. Includes Medicaid and up to $2,000 for legal costs. Lasts until the child is 18 (or 21 under KGAP C21).

Food

SNAP — Ohio's gross-income screen is 200% FPL. SNAP groups people who live together and customarily purchase and prepare food together, and net countable income is used to calculate the benefit. OWF cash counts as income for SNAP, but you'll still likely qualify. Apply on the same form (JFS 07200) at county JFS. Children whose household receives SNAP or OWF are directly certified for free school meals.

WIC — For children under five. If the child already receives SNAP, Medicaid, or OWF, they automatically meet WIC's income requirement. Apply at your county WIC clinic.

SUN Bucks (Summer EBT) — $120 per eligible school-aged child during summer. Loaded automatically onto your EBT card if the child receives SNAP or OWF.

Health Coverage

Healthy Start Medicaid — Children up to 156% FPL. CHIP covers up to 206% FPL. Your income as a caregiver is excluded unless you claim the child as a tax dependent. Twelve months of continuous eligibility. Apply online, by phone (1-844-640-6446), or at county JFS.

Emergency and Childcare

Prevention, Retention, and Contingency (PRC) — County-specific emergency grants for rent, utilities, cribs, car seats, clothing. Each of Ohio's 88 counties sets its own rules and caps. Apply at county JFS.

Publicly Funded Child Care (PFCC) — Childcare subsidies for working caregivers or those in training. Sliding-scale copay, waived entirely below 100% FPL. Apply through county JFS.

Where to Start

If you're overwhelmed, call OhioKAN at 1-844-644-6526. They'll connect you with a navigator who can sort through which programs fit your situation and help coordinate across agencies.

If you want the full program-by-program breakdown — what each pays, which documents to bring, how the programs stack, and what to do if you're denied — the Ohio kinship financial help guide puts everything in one document you can read on your phone or print at the library.

See more Ohio guides →