How to Apply for Wyoming DFS Cash Assistance as a Grandparent or Relative

Getting Started with the DFS Application

The Wyoming Department of Family Services processes cash assistance through local county offices. Whether you are a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or adult sibling caring for a child, the application process follows the same path: submit the standard Application for Assistance, complete an interview, and provide verification documents.

The form itself is the general DFS Application for Assistance — the same one used for SNAP and POWER cash aid. You do not need a separate form for the child-only Caretaker Relative track. When DFS reviews your application, they classify it based on your household circumstances.

Three Ways to Submit

You have three options for getting your application to DFS:

In person at your local county DFS field office. Every Wyoming county has one. Walk-in hours vary by location, so call ahead.

By mail to your county DFS office address. The application is date-stamped when it arrives, so mail delays can affect the application date.

By email to [email protected]. This is often the fastest route. Scan or photograph the completed form and send it. Email submissions count as received on the date shown in the message; submissions received on a weekend or holiday count as received the next working day.

The Interview Requirement

After DFS receives your application, they will schedule a mandatory eligibility interview. This can happen over the phone or in person at the local office. The phone interview line is 307-777-8550, operating Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 AM to 4 PM. Thursday is not an interview day.

During the interview, the caseworker verifies the information on your application and reviews your documentation. They will ask about the child's living situation, income, and your relationship to the child. For the Caretaker Relative track, they need to confirm that the child's parents are absent from the home and that you are exercising daily care and control.

Documents to Gather Before the Interview

The number-one reason applications stall is missing paperwork. Collect these before your interview:

• Child's birth certificate or hospital birth record
• Child's Social Security card or SSA printout
• Proof of Wyoming residency — lease, mortgage statement, or utility bill
• Proof of kinship — birth certificates linking you to the child through the parent, or court records
• Proof of caretaker control — school enrollment showing your address, medical records, or a landlord statement
• Child's income documentation — if the child receives any Social Security benefits, survivor payments, or child support, bring the award letters or payment records

If you are missing the child's birth certificate and the child was born in Wyoming, DFS can request a free copy from the Wyoming Department of Health's Vital Records Department for DFS purposes.

Processing Timeline

For SNAP, DFS's 30-calendar-day application-processing period starts the day after it receives the application; the interview does not reset that clock. POWER follows its Pay-After-Performance schedule: the first period runs from the application date through the end of that month, and the first payment is authorized on the first day of the following month when requirements are met. If you are also applying for SNAP and your household qualifies for expedited processing, benefits must be available within 7 calendar days of the application.

For POWER, the application date starts the first pay-after-performance period. If you meet the required conditions, the first payment is issued for the following month.

What Happens If You Are Denied

If DFS denies your application or reduces your benefit, they must send a written Notice of Adverse Action explaining why. You have 30 calendar days from the date on that notice to request a formal Fair Hearing. Do not let that deadline pass without responding — even if you plan to reapply, a hearing preserves your rights for that specific application period.

For a detailed walkthrough of every benefit available to kinship caregivers in Wyoming — including SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP, ECARES childcare, and LIEAP heating help — the Wyoming Kinship Financial Help Guide covers each program's application process, income rules, and renewal timelines.

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