Financial Help for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Wisconsin

The Programs That Exist

Wisconsin has six main financial support streams for grandparents and relatives raising a child. Each one is run by a different agency, has different rules about whose income counts, and requires different paperwork. Here is what they are and what they pay.

Kinship Care ($384/month per child, some counties up to $586 with age-tiered rates) is the core program for relative caregivers. Your income is completely excluded — only the child's own income matters. Run by your county Human Services department or DMCPS in Milwaukee. Apply with Form DCF-F-CFS2023-E.

BadgerCare Plus covers the child's health insurance — doctor visits, prescriptions, dental, vision. Children qualify with household income up to 305% of the Federal Poverty Level, and when a grandparent is caring for a grandchild without claiming them as a tax dependent, the grandparent's income is excluded entirely. The child's assistance group is just the child and any siblings in the home. Apply through the ACCESS portal at access.wisconsin.gov.

FoodShare (Wisconsin's SNAP program) helps with groceries. Household composition rules matter here: if you don't hold legal custody or guardianship, the child can apply as a separate FoodShare household, and your retirement income stays out of the calculation. If you do hold legal custody, the child must be in your FoodShare group and your income counts. Apply through ACCESS.

Wisconsin Shares subsidizes childcare for low-income households. Court-ordered kinship caregivers get a special deal — $0 copayment, no asset limit, and eligibility is based on the biological parents' income at the time of removal rather than yours. Voluntary caregivers apply under standard rules (income up to 200% FPL to enter).

Emergency Assistance provides one-time cash for crises — impending eviction, utility shutoff, fire, or flood. Apply through your local W-2 agency.

Title III-E Family Caregiver Support is specifically for caregivers aged 55 and older. Administered through your county ADRC, it covers respite care, training, and emergency funding — services, not a monthly check.

The Application Sequence That Saves Time

The order you apply in matters. Start with BadgerCare Plus because the child needs health coverage immediately, and the application is straightforward through the ACCESS portal. Apply for Kinship Care next — the sooner you submit Form DCF-F-CFS2023-E, the sooner payments start (they cannot be backdated). Then layer on FoodShare and Wisconsin Shares through ACCESS.

If you're 55 or older, contact your county ADRC early. Title III-E funds can help cover respite care while you're waiting for Kinship Care approval.

What About Wisconsin Works (W-2)?

W-2 is Wisconsin's TANF program, and it comes up in a lot of searches. Here's the critical distinction: W-2 is a work-participation program. If you apply, your income is tested against 115% of the Federal Poverty Level, and you must participate in assigned work activities or Community Service Jobs. Wisconsin does not have a passive, non-needy child-only cash tier under W-2 for relatives.

For most grandparents on fixed incomes, Kinship Care is the right path — it excludes your income and has no work requirement. W-2 is worth considering only if you're a low-income caregiver who would also benefit from the employment support.

Where to Get Help Navigating

The Wisconsin Family Connections Center (WiFCC) provides free kinship navigation services, peer support groups, and workshops. For legal questions about benefit denials or appeals, Legal Action of Wisconsin (855-252-0677) covers southern counties and Judicare Legal Aid (800-472-1638) covers the north and tribal nations.

For the complete walkthrough — every program, every form, every agency contact, and the application sequence laid out step by step — the Wisconsin Kinship Financial Help Guide pulls it into one organized system.

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