Tennessee Families First Child-Only Grant for Grandparents

What a Child-Only Case Actually Means

Families First is Tennessee's TANF cash assistance program, run by the Department of Human Services (TDHS). When a grandparent or relative raises a child without the biological parents in the household, TDHS lets the caregiver file what it calls a "child-only" case. The caregiver elects to exclude their own needs from the assistance unit, and only the child's income and resources count toward eligibility.

That distinction matters enormously. In a child-only case, TDHS ignores the caregiver's wages, pension, Social Security retirement, SSDI, and spousal income entirely. The 30-hour-per-week work requirement is waived, and the federal 60-month lifetime benefit cap does not apply.

Many grandparents on fixed incomes assume they earn too much to qualify for any cash help. They don't — because their income isn't part of the equation.

Who Qualifies

The child must live in Tennessee with a relative within the fifth degree of kinship by blood, marriage, or adoption. That includes grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, first cousins, and step-relatives of equivalent degree. Fictive kin (family friends, godparents, neighbors) are excluded from Families First child-only grants regardless of their legal arrangement.

The child must be under 18, or 18 and expected to graduate from high school before turning 19.

For financial eligibility, only the child's own income counts — things like child support from biological parents, Social Security survivor benefits in the child's name, or the child's direct earnings. The child's countable resource limit is $2,000, excluding up to $4,600 of vehicle equity assigned to the child's care. If the child receives SSI, that payment is excluded from the TANF budget.

How Much the Grant Pays

TDHS calculates benefits using the Differential Grant Payment Amount (DGPA), which adds $100 per month above the standard payment amount for child-only cases:

• 1 child: $240/month
• 2 children: $292/month
• 3 children: $332/month

The child's gross income is first checked against the Gross Income Standard (185% of the Consolidated Need Standard for the household size). If it passes, net countable income is subtracted from the DGPA. The minimum monthly grant is $10, paid on the 1st of each month via EBT card.

How to Apply

Applications go through the ONE DHS Customer Portal at onedhs.tn.gov or at a local TDHS county office. You'll use the Application for Services form (HS-0012). Bring:

• The child's birth certificate (or hospital records, baptismal certificate, or school records as alternatives)
• The child's Social Security card or SSA application receipt
• Proof of kinship relationship — birth certificates linking generations, court orders, or adoption decrees (alternatives: marriage licenses, tax returns listing the child, sworn affidavits)
• Proof of Tennessee residence — your driver's license, utility bills, or lease
• Proof of legal caregiving authority — a court custody order, notarized Power of Attorney under T.C.A. § 34-6-301, or a written self-attestation for informal care
• Financial documentation for the child — any child support payment records, survivor benefit award letters, or statements showing the child's income

Processing takes up to 30 calendar days, and an interview is required.

The Child Support Cooperation Requirement

Filing for Families First automatically assigns the child's support rights to TDHS. The caregiver must cooperate with the Child Support Enforcement Division to identify biological parents, establish paternity, and enforce support orders.

If cooperating would put the child or caregiver in danger, you can claim a Good Cause Exception. Good cause applies when enforcement would result in physical or severe emotional harm, when the child was conceived through rape or incest, or when adoption or custody proceedings are pending. Indicate the claim on the ONE DHS application or submit Form HS-2804.

What Happens If You're Denied

A Families First denial can be appealed within 90 calendar days of the notice date. To keep benefits flowing at their current level during the appeal ("Aid Paid Pending"), file within 10 calendar days of the notice. The appeal triggers an Administrative Fair Hearing before an administrative law judge, where you can inspect your case file, submit evidence, and bring witnesses.

If you need help understanding a denial or preparing an appeal, the HELP4TN legal helpline (1-866-836-5726) connects Tennessee residents with free legal advice.

The Tennessee Kinship Financial Help Guide walks through each program's application in order — the documents to gather, the income worksheet to fill out before you apply, and a tracker for every notice and deadline. It covers Families First alongside the Relative Caregiver Program stipend, TennCare, SNAP, childcare assistance, and appeal rights, organized so nothing falls through the cracks.

See more Tennessee guides →