Utah Informal Kinship Care Benefits — What You Can Get Without a Court Order

You Don't Need a Court Order to Get Help

One of the biggest misconceptions among kinship caregivers in Utah is that you need legal guardianship — a court order — before you can apply for any government assistance. That's not true. Most of the financial help available to relatives raising a child is accessible without ever stepping into a courtroom.

If a grandchild or relative's child is living with you because the parents are absent — whether due to substance abuse, incarceration, military deployment, or simply walking away — you're an informal kinship caregiver. And Utah has programs designed specifically for your situation.

Cash: The Specified Relative Grant

The DWS Specified Relative Grant is a monthly cash payment for the child, and it does not require guardianship. You apply as a "non-needy caretaker relative," which means the state evaluates only the child's income and assets — your Social Security, pension, or wages are completely excluded.

To apply, you need to be a qualifying relative (grandparent, great-grandparent, aunt, uncle, sibling, niece, nephew, or first cousin) and demonstrate that the child's parents are absent from the home. DWS accepts a signed statement from you attesting to the child's residency and parental absence. No court paperwork required.

The grant is $383/month for one child, $531 for two, and $662 for three. There's no time limit and no work requirement for the caregiver. Full details on the Specified Relative Grant

Health Coverage: Child-Only Medicaid and CHIP

You can apply for Child Medicaid or CHIP on behalf of a child in your care without guardianship. DWS allows a relative caregiver to sign the application as a non-parent caretaker. The parent's signature isn't required when the parent is absent.

The child's eligibility is based solely on the child's own income. Your income doesn't count. Children ages 0–5 qualify at 139% of the federal poverty level, children 6–18 at 133% FPL, and CHIP extends coverage up to 200% FPL for children under 19. Most kinship children qualify for full Medicaid with zero premiums and zero copays.

Utah Medicaid also covers the three months before you apply, so if the child saw a doctor or visited an ER before you got the application in, those bills may be retroactively covered.

Food: SNAP and WIC

SNAP (food stamps) is available to your household regardless of your legal arrangement. The difference from the Specified Relative Grant is that SNAP counts your income — you and the child are treated as one household if you purchase and prepare food together. A two-person household must have gross income under $2,345/month.

WIC is available for children under five without any court documents. Bring the child's birth certificate, proof of residency, and your ID to the local county health department clinic. If the child is already on Medicaid or SNAP, income verification is automatic.

School Enrollment

Utah schools can enroll a child living with a relative even without formal guardianship. Under Utah Code § 53G-6-302, a school district may accept a power of attorney, caregiver affidavit, or — at the district's discretion — other documentation showing the child resides with a responsible adult in the district.

A power of attorney under Utah Code § 75-5-103 is the most commonly accepted document. It doesn't require a court filing — just the parent's signature, notarized. But if the parent can't be found to sign, talk to the school's registrar about a caregiver affidavit or district-level exception.

What Informal Care Can't Do

There are limits. Without a court order, you may run into walls with:

• Non-emergency medical procedures. Routine doctor visits are generally fine with a power of attorney, but hospitals may require a guardianship order for surgery or psychiatric treatment.
• Certain insurance enrollment. Adding the child to your employer-sponsored health plan typically requires a court order showing legal custody or guardianship.
• Disputes with the parent. If the parent returns and wants the child back, you have no legal standing to prevent it without a custody or guardianship order.

For many kinship families, informal care works well for months or even years. The benefits are real, the applications are straightforward, and you can always pursue guardianship later if the situation calls for it.

Getting Started

Apply for the Specified Relative Grant and Child Medicaid at jobs.utah.gov/mycase. Bring the child's birth certificate, Social Security number, a utility bill showing your address, and any documentation of the child's income (usually none). You can complete both applications in one sitting.

For a complete map of every benefit available — with and without court orders — the Utah Kinship Financial Help guide walks through each program and what your legal arrangement qualifies you for.

See more Utah guides →