TAFDC Child-Only Grant in Massachusetts: How to Apply

What a Child-Only Grant Actually Is

When a grandparent or relative applies for TAFDC in Massachusetts without including themselves in the assistance unit, DTA creates what it calls a "child-only" case. The grant covers the child's basic needs — food, clothing, personal care — and the caregiver's own income, assets, and employment status are irrelevant to the decision.

This matters because many relatives assume their pension or wages will disqualify them. They won't. DTA looks only at the child's own countable income, such as Social Security survivor benefits or court-ordered child support paid to the assistance unit. Most children in kinship care have little or no countable income, so most qualify.

Who Can Apply

You must be related to the child by blood, marriage, or adoption. Grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, nieces, nephews, and first cousins all count. The child must live with you in Massachusetts, and you must be the person providing day-to-day care.

Non-related family friends — sometimes called fictive kin — cannot apply for a TAFDC child-only grant. They would need to go through a different program (EAEDC) under stricter legal-custody requirements.

You do not need legal guardianship or a court order. Informal caregivers qualify as long as the relationship and living arrangement can be documented.

Three Ways to Apply

DTA Connect (online): Go to dtaconnect.eohhs.mass.gov, create an account, and complete the TAFDC-1 application. Select that you are applying for a child only. You can upload documents directly through the portal.

In person: At a local DTA office, use the self-service options or a community kiosk to apply. DTA staff and interpreters are available to assist.

By phone: Call your local DTA office to apply for TAFDC over the phone.

Whichever method you choose, DTA must act within 30 calendar days of receiving a signed application. The "protective filing date" is the day DTA receives your signature, name, and address — even if your documents arrive later. Benefits, if approved, are calculated back to that date.

Documents to Bring

DTA needs to verify a short list of things. Bring what you can from this list on your first visit — missing items won't cancel your application, but they will delay it:

• Child's identity and age: birth certificate or passport (a hospital birth record or school enrollment record works if the certificate is unavailable)
• Social Security number: the child's Social Security card, or the SSA receipt showing an application is in progress
• Your relationship to the child: birth certificates that link you through the family line, or a sworn affidavit of relationship
• Massachusetts residency: a utility bill, lease, or mortgage statement in your name
• Proof the child lives with you: a school emergency contact card, pediatrician record, or Caregiver Authorization Affidavit
• The child's income: if the child receives Social Security benefits or child support, bring the award letter or payment records

If you cannot get an original document, DTA is required to accept alternative proofs when primary records are unavailable. Examples include a landlord's letter, a school residency record, or a written statement from a social worker or clergy member.

After You Apply

DTA will mail an approval or denial notice within 30 days. If approved, benefits load onto an EBT card (the same card used for SNAP). You will also receive automatic referrals to MassHealth for the child's health coverage and may be offered a childcare voucher referral through EEC.

If DTA asks for more information (a Request for Information notice), respond by the deadline printed on the notice. Missing it can delay or affect the application.

The Massachusetts kinship financial help guide includes a printable document checklist, a DTA appointment preparation worksheet, and a tracker for every deadline DTA sets during the process.

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