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

The Programs Vermont Offers

Vermont has more financial support for kinship caregivers than most states, but it's spread across multiple agencies with separate applications. Here's every major program a grandparent or relative raising a child can access, in the order most families should apply.

Reach Up Child Only — Monthly Cash

This is usually the first program to apply for. Reach Up Child Only is a monthly cash grant through the DCF Economic Services Division. The critical feature: your income, savings, and assets are completely excluded from the eligibility test. Only the child's own resources count.

For one child with no income, the grant is up to $562 per month (or $587 in Chittenden County). There are no work requirements and no time limits. You apply with Form 202CARE — the caretaker-specific form — not the standard Form 202.

Getting approved for Reach Up Child Only also unlocks the CCFAP childcare income waiver for legal guardians, which is why it should come first.

3SquaresVT — Food Benefits

Vermont's SNAP program loads monthly benefits onto an EBT card. Unlike Reach Up, 3SquaresVT counts the whole household — your income and the child's combined. But a larger household gets a higher income limit, and caregivers age 60 or older can deduct out-of-pocket medical expenses to reduce countable income.

The gross income limit for a two-person household (October 2026 – September 2027) is $3,337 per month.

Dr. Dynasaur — Health Coverage for the Child

Vermont's combined Medicaid and CHIP program covers children under 19 with income up to 317 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. The income test looks at the child's filing unit — not yours. A relative caregiver can apply on the child's behalf without a court order.

Coverage is comprehensive: medical, dental, vision, prescriptions, behavioral health, with no premiums for lower-income households. Retroactive coverage extends three months before the application date.

CCFAP — Childcare Subsidy

The Child Care Financial Assistance Program helps pay for regulated childcare. Standard applicants must meet income guidelines, but legal guardians receiving Reach Up Child Only get an income-guideline waiver. The asset limit is under $1 million, which rarely disqualifies anyone.

Applications go through the Child Development Division's CDDIS Parent Portal (desktop recommended — DCF advises against mobile submissions).

Guardianship Assistance Program (GAP)

If the child was in DCF custody and you become a permanent guardian through Family Court, monthly GAP subsidies can reach the foster care maintenance rate. This requires prior DCF involvement, at least six months of licensed kinship foster placement, and a formal agreement signed before the court order.

Private probate guardians don't qualify for GAP, but they access the other programs above.

Vermont Kin as Parents (VKAP) — Respite Grants

VKAP distributes state-funded grants for respite care, children's activities, camp tuition, and essential supplies. These are first-come, first-served and not entitlements. Call (802) 871-5104 to apply.

Fuel Assistance

Vermont's Home Heating Fuel Assistance helps with winter heating costs. Kinship households may qualify based on household size and income. Even a nominal $21 annual fuel benefit can trigger an increase in your 3SquaresVT allotment for elderly or disabled households.

What Your Legal Arrangement Changes

Your care arrangement directly affects which benefits you can access and how much you receive. Informal caregivers, probate guardians, conditional custody holders, and licensed kinship foster parents each have different benefit pathways. The common thread: for Reach Up Child Only and Dr. Dynasaur, the caregiver's income is excluded regardless of arrangement.

Our Financial Help for Grandparents and Relatives Raising a Child in Vermont guide maps every care arrangement against every benefit program, with document checklists and worked payment examples, so you can see exactly what applies to your situation.

See more Vermont guides →