Wisconsin Kinship Navigator and Free Legal Resources for Relative Caregivers

When you're raising someone else's child, knowing where to call for free help can save you weeks of guesswork. Wisconsin has a statewide support network built specifically for relative caregivers — grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other kin who stepped in when a parent couldn't. Most of these services cost nothing.

Wisconsin Kinship Navigator (WiFCC)

The Wisconsin Family Connections Center (WiFCC) operates the state's Kinship Navigator program, a joint initiative of the Coalition for Children, Youth & Families and Catholic Charities' Journeys Program. The Navigator is your first call for any kinship care question — they can help identify which forms you need, which county office handles them, and who to contact when something goes wrong.

What they offer:

• A toll-free helpline at 800-762-8063
• Referrals to county services, legal aid, and support groups
• The Wisconsin Kinship Navigator Guidebook (updated March 2025), a free downloadable overview of programs and resources by county
• Information sessions and past "Families Like Mine" conference resources for kinship caregivers

The Navigator provides information and referrals. For legal advice or court representation, contact a legal aid organization below.

Free Legal Aid

Legal Action of Wisconsin covers southern Wisconsin counties with free civil legal services for income-eligible clients on minor guardianships and public benefits. Contact its intake team to ask whether your custody or school issue is within scope.

Judicare Legal Aid serves northern Wisconsin counties and tribal jurisdictions, including tribal child-welfare matters. Contact its intake team to ask whether your guardianship, custody, or administrative issue is within scope.

Both organizations operate with high caseloads and strict income eligibility limits, so response times can be slow when your need is urgent. Call early, explain the situation, and ask specifically about kinship care — many legal aid offices prioritize children's welfare cases.

Disability Rights Wisconsin handles cases where a child in kinship care has a disability and is being denied appropriate educational services, Section 504 accommodations, or IEP protections.

WI FACETS (Wisconsin Family Assistance Center for Education, Training and Support) helps families navigate special education, including IEP disputes, transition planning, and understanding your rights as a caregiver under IDEA.

County-Level Support

Your county's Department of Human Services is the gateway to:

• Kinship Care payments ($384/month base rate per child as of January 2026) for eligible relatives under voluntary or court-ordered Kinship Care
• BadgerCare Plus enrollment for the child's health insurance
• FoodShare food assistance and Wisconsin Shares child-care subsidies, subject to each program's eligibility rules
• Referrals to local kinship care support groups

Some counties also have kinship care coordinators who can help determine whether the child qualifies for voluntary or court-ordered Kinship Care and explain the paperwork.

How These Pieces Fit Together

The typical path for a new kinship caregiver in Wisconsin:

1. Call the Kinship Navigator (800-762-8063) to get oriented — they'll tell you which county office to contact and which programs apply to your situation
2. Get a GF-223 signed if a parent is willing — this gives you immediate authority for school decisions and medical consent
3. Apply for BadgerCare Plus for the child's health coverage through your county Income Maintenance agency
4. Contact county DHS to ask whether the child qualifies for voluntary or court-ordered Kinship Care if the child came to you because of a child welfare concern
5. Call Legal Action or Judicare if the parent won't cooperate on the GF-223 or you need to pursue court guardianship

None of these steps requires hiring a private attorney. If your situation is straightforward — willing parent, no ongoing court case, no contested custody — you can handle most of the paperwork yourself with the free forms from the Wisconsin Court System and the guidance these organizations provide.

When the situation is more complicated, our Wisconsin School and Medical Consent guide walks through every form, benefit, and decision point, including an Instrument Comparison Decision Tree for choosing between informal delegation and court guardianship.

See more Wisconsin guides →