Vermont DCF Economic Services Division Benefits for Kinship Caregivers

When you start looking for financial help as a relative raising someone else's child in Vermont, every trail leads back to the same agency: the Department for Children and Families. But DCF is not one office — it is several divisions, each running different programs with different rules, and calling the wrong one wastes time you do not have.

What the Economic Services Division Actually Handles

The Economic Services Division is the arm of DCF that administers cash, food, and fuel benefits. If you are a grandparent or other relative caring for a child who is not your biological or adopted child, ESD is where most of your benefit applications land.

ESD runs four programs that matter to kinship caregivers:

• Reach Up Child Only — a monthly cash grant based solely on the child's income. Your retirement pension, Social Security, or wages are not counted. One child with no personal income qualifies for up to $562 per month ($587 in Chittenden County). You file Form 202CARE, not the standard Form 202.
• 3SquaresVT (SNAP) — food benefits loaded onto an EBT card. Vermont uses broad-based categorical eligibility with an expanded gross-income guideline at 185% of the Federal Poverty Level. Households over that guideline may still qualify if they include someone age 60 or older or with a disability, but ESD considers countable resources. Under federal SNAP rules, a non-foster child under 18 who lives with and is under the parental control of a household member other than a parent must be included in that adult's household even if food is bought and prepared separately. For SNAP, parental control includes financial or other dependence, unless State law defines the child as an adult.
• Seasonal Fuel Assistance — helps pay part of a household's home-heating bill. Seasonal fuel eligibility uses a gross-income limit of 185% of the Federal Poverty Level; the SNAP Heating and Cooling Standard Utility Allowance is a separate deduction used in SNAP calculations.
• General Assistance / Emergency Assistance — separate ESD programs for emergency needs. Emergency Assistance is generally limited to one 30-consecutive-day period in a 12-month period, with exceptions for specified temporary housing and rent or mortgage arrears.

You can reach ESD's Benefits Service Center at 1-800-479-6151. Applications go through the mybenefits.vt.gov portal, DCF's secure Document Uploader, or your regional District Office in person.

ESD vs. Family Services Division — Why It Matters

The Family Services Division is a completely separate arm of DCF. FSD handles child welfare, foster home licensing, protective custody, and the Title IV-E Guardianship Assistance Program. If a child is in DCF legal custody and placed with you as a licensed kinship foster parent, FSD manages that relationship and its payments.

The distinction matters because the two divisions have different eligibility rules. ESD's Reach Up Child Only is available to informal caregivers and court-appointed guardians alike — no foster care license required. FSD's Guardianship Assistance Program requires that the child was previously in DCF foster custody and that you held a foster license for at least six consecutive months before the permanent guardianship order.

If you call ESD about a foster care payment question, they will direct you to FSD. If you call FSD about food stamps, they will send you back to ESD. Knowing which division handles which program saves a round trip.

How to File Your First ESD Application

Reach Up Child Only is one of several benefits you can apply for. Submit Form 202CARE separately while applying for 3SquaresVT and fuel assistance through myBenefits; an approved grant makes the child automatically income-eligible for WIC, and a legal guardian receiving the grant can have CCFAP income guidelines waived:

1. Download Form 202CARE from the DCF website or request a paper copy by calling 1-800-479-6151.
2. Gather the child's birth certificate, Social Security card, and any proof of the child's income (survivor benefits, child support).
3. Include proof that the child lives with you — a school enrollment record, pediatrician patient record, or a signed non-parent caregiver statement.
4. Submit through the DCF Document Uploader or deliver to your District Office.
5. ESD must process your application within 30 days. Payments arrive via EBT card or direct deposit.

Once Reach Up Child Only is approved, children receiving it are automatically income-eligible for WIC, and legal guardians with an approved grant can have CCFAP childcare income guidelines waived.

What ESD Cannot Help With

ESD eligibility specialists determine financial entitlement. They do not provide legal advice, manage child welfare cases, or handle custody matters. For guardianship questions, you need FSD or a family attorney. For health insurance enrollment, you need the Department of Vermont Health Access through Vermont Health Connect. For childcare subsidies, you need the Child Development Division's CDDIS portal.

Our Vermont Kinship Financial Help Guide maps every agency to every program so you can call the right office the first time, with the right documents already in hand.

See more Vermont guides →