A TANF child-only grant is a monthly cash payment made for a child who lives with a relative other than a parent. In almost every state, the caretaker relative's income and assets are not counted, there is no work requirement on the caretaker, and the months do not count against the child's or the caretaker's 60-month TANF lifetime limit. Maximum monthly amounts for one child range from $81 in Arkansas to over $800 in California, with a national average near $328. Roughly 55 percent of the entire national TANF caseload is now child-only cases, and about 13 percent of children in kinship care actually receive the grant, which means most eligible families never apply.
This guide covers who qualifies as a caretaker relative, the state-by-state payment amounts, the three states that break the rule and do test caregiver income, and the exact steps to apply.
What a Child-Only Case Is
Standard TANF puts the parent and the children in one "assistance unit." The parent's income counts, the parent faces work requirements, and the family burns through the 60-month federal lifetime clock.
A child-only case removes the adult from the assistance unit. Only the child is aided. That changes four things:
| Feature | Standard TANF family grant | TANF child-only grant |
|---|
| Whose income is counted | Parent and children | Child only (3 state exceptions) |
| Whose assets are counted | Parent and children | No state counts caregiver assets |
| Work requirement on adult | Yes, generally 30 hours per week | No (only Guam requires it) |
| 60-month lifetime limit | Counts against it | Generally does not count |
| Typical monthly amount | Higher, average $614 for a family of three | Lower, average $328 for one child |
Child-only cases come in several flavors. The most common is a nonparent caregiver case, where a grandparent, aunt, older sibling, or other relative is raising the child. Nationally, about 54.5 percent of child-only recipients live with a nonparental caregiver, and 69 percent of those live specifically with a grandparent. Other child-only cases involve a parent who receives SSI, a parent who is not a U.S. citizen and is therefore ineligible, or a parent sanctioned off the grant.
Who Counts as a Caretaker Relative
States use a list of "specified relatives," which is usually broad. It typically includes:
- Grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great-grandparents
- Aunts, uncles, great-aunts, great-uncles
- Siblings, step-siblings, half-siblings
- First cousins and in some states first cousins once removed
- Nieces and nephews
- Stepparents, and relatives by marriage even after a divorce ends the marriage
You generally do not need legal custody or guardianship to get a child-only grant. What matters is that the child lives with you and you are responsible for their day-to-day care. This is one of the biggest misconceptions that keeps grandparents from applying.
Nonrelated caregivers, sometimes called fictive kin, are usually excluded. A few states have opened the door. Colorado and Vermont allow nonrelated kin to receive child-only grants without a legal relationship. Connecticut and Wisconsin allow nonrelated caregivers who obtain guardianship or custody.
TANF Child-Only Grant Amounts by State
The table below shows the maximum monthly child-only benefit for one, two, and three children. These figures come from the most recent complete 50-state comparison, compiled by Child Trends and the Grandfamilies and Kinship Support Network from the Urban Institute Welfare Rules Database and state agency sources. Several states have adjusted amounts since, so treat these as the baseline and confirm the current figure with your state agency when you apply.
| State | 1 child | 2 children | 3 children |
|---|
| U.S. average | $328 | $447 | $555 |
| Alabama | $165 | $190 | $215 |
| Alaska | $452 | $554 | $656 |
| Arizona | $204 | $275 | $347 |
| Arkansas | $81 | $162 | $204 |
| California | $770 to $809 | $987 to $1,039 | $1,248 to $1,314 |
| Colorado | $141 | $296 | $444 |
| Connecticut | $489 | $661 | $833 |
| Delaware | $201 | $270 | $338 |
| District of Columbia | $490 | $612 | $781 |
| Florida | $180 | $241 | $303 |
| Georgia | $155 | $235 | $280 |
| Hawaii | $450 | $607 | $763 |
| Idaho | $309 | $309 | $309 |
| Illinois | $329 | $447 | $565 |
| Indiana | $248 | $409 | $513 |
| Kansas | $224 to $267 | $309 to $352 | $386 to $429 |
| Kentucky | $372 | $450 | $524 |
| Louisiana | $244 | $376 | $484 |
| Maine | $188 | $359 | $529 |
| Maryland | $373 | $620 | $772 |
| Massachusetts | $553 | $688 | $823 |
| Michigan | $158 | $274 | $420 |
| Minnesota | $419 | $642 | $756 |
| Mississippi | $200 | $236 | $260 |
| Missouri | $136 | $234 | $292 |
| Montana | $347 | $467 | $588 |
| Nebraska | $331 | $408 | $485 |
| Nevada | $418 | $478 | $538 |
| New Hampshire | $753 | $1,022 | $1,291 |
| New Jersey | $214 | $425 | $559 |
| New Mexico | $327 | $439 | $550 |
| New York | $363 to $493 | $481 to $650 | $648 to $836 |
| North Carolina | $181 | $236 | $272 |
| North Dakota | $349 | $510 | $664 |
| Ohio | $363 | $495 | $608 |
| Oklahoma | $104 | $205 | $289 |
| Oregon | $228 | $348 | $477 |
| Pennsylvania | $205 | $316 | $403 |
| Rhode Island | $327 | $449 | $554 |
| South Carolina | $229 | $308 | $388 |
| South Dakota | $432 | $507 | $581 |
| Texas | $121 | $174 | $243 |
| Utah | $383 | $531 | $662 |
| Vermont | $562 to $587 | $710 to $725 | $856 to $880 |
| Virginia | $226 to $316 | $332 to $422 | $417 to $508 |
| Washington | $450 | $570 | $706 |
| West Virginia | $417 | $480 | $542 |
| Wyoming | $493 | $816 | $869 |
Ranges reflect county or regional variation. Five states set different amounts by where the child lives: California, Kansas, New York, Vermont, and Virginia. Iowa, Tennessee, and Wisconsin did not report comparable child-only figures in the source data, so contact those agencies directly.
Two details worth knowing before you budget:
No state pays per child. Adding a second child raises the grant, but never by the full first-child amount. In Alabama, a second child adds $25. In Wyoming, a second child adds $323. Idaho pays $309 no matter how many children are in the home. The practical effect is that the per-child amount falls as the household grows.
South Dakota pays more for agency placements. If a child welfare agency placed the child in your home, South Dakota pays $840 for one child instead of $432.
The Three States That Count Caregiver Income
Federal law and intent point toward looking only at the child's income. Nearly every state follows that. Three do not:
| State | Caregiver income test | Approximate 2026 annual limit, household of 3 |
|---|
| Arizona | 130% of the federal poverty level | About $35,500 |
| Nevada | 275% of the federal poverty level | About $75,100 |
| Oregon | 185% of the federal poverty level | About $50,500 |
The 2026 federal poverty guideline is $27,320 for a household of three in the 48 contiguous states, so the figures above are estimates based on that number. No state or territory counts the caregiver's assets when deciding child-only eligibility or benefit amount, which means retirement savings and a paid-off home do not disqualify you.
What Income the State Does Count
The child's own income counts against the grant. That typically means:
- Child support received on the child's behalf. States require you to assign child support rights to the agency as a condition of getting TANF.
- Social Security survivor or dependent benefits paid to the child. In many states these exceed the child-only grant and make the child ineligible.
- Any earnings the child has, subject to student exclusions in most states.
SSI is different. A child receiving SSI is excluded from the TANF assistance unit rather than having the SSI counted as income. If you are raising two grandchildren and one receives SSI, you apply for a child-only grant covering the other child.
Child Support Assignment and Pass-Through
Assigning child support to the state is the requirement that stops the most applicants. Caregivers worry that state enforcement against a parent will damage the family relationship or put the child at risk.
Two things soften this. First, federal law allows "good cause exemptions," and states apply them with wide discretion. Massachusetts and Wyoming make all kin caregivers eligible for a good cause exemption. Ask about it by name.
Second, 26 states plus D.C. and Puerto Rico have a pass-through policy that sends some of the collected support to the child anyway:
- $50 per month: Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Puerto Rico
- $75 per month: Texas
- $100 per month: Montana, New Jersey, Virginia
- $150 per month: District of Columbia
- $100 for one child, $200 for two or more: Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, West Virginia
- Full amount passed through: Colorado and Minnesota
- 75 percent passed through: Wisconsin
- Variable, up to unmet need: Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee
How to Apply as a Caretaker Relative
-
Find your state's TANF agency. The program name varies: CalWORKs in California, Work First in North Carolina, TAFDC in Massachusetts, Family Independence Program in Michigan. Search for your state's department of human services or social services.
-
Say the words "child-only" on the application. Many state applications do not have a child-only checkbox, and the intake worker may default to putting you in the assistance unit. Write clearly that you are applying for the child only and that you are not requesting assistance for yourself.
-
Do not list your income as household income for the child. List it if the form asks, but state that you are a nonparent caretaker relative applying for a child-only grant. Except in Arizona, Nevada, and Oregon, your income should not affect the determination.
-
Gather documents. Most states ask for:
- The child's birth certificate or other proof of birth
- The child's Social Security card, or proof you applied for one
- Proof the child lives with you: school records, medical records, a letter from a landlord
- Proof of your relationship to the child. In some states, like Pennsylvania, your own signed statement is enough unless the agency has conflicting information
- Proof of your residency: lease, mortgage statement, utility bill
- Your photo ID
- Any income the child receives
-
Interview. Most states require a phone or in-person interview within a few weeks of applying.
-
Ask about the good cause exemption from child support cooperation if pursuing support from a parent would be unsafe or would harm the child.
-
Apply for everything else at the same time. The same application usually covers SNAP and Medicaid. A child in your home is almost always Medicaid eligible on their own income regardless of yours, and a small child-only TANF grant rarely disqualifies a household from SNAP.
Processing typically takes 30 to 45 days. Many states pay benefits back to the application date once approved.
State Programs That Pay More Than the Child-Only Grant
The child-only grant is not the only option. The average foster care maintenance payment to a relative foster home is about $915 per child per month, nearly three times the average child-only grant. Some states have built middle-ground programs:
| State | Program | Approximate amount |
|---|
| Louisiana | Kinship Care Subsidy Program | $450 per child monthly, caregiver income under 150% FPL |
| Nevada | Kinship Care Program | Over $400 monthly per child, caregivers age 62 and older, plus up to $750 in legal fee reimbursement |
| Texas | One-time relative payment | $1,000 one-time for qualifying grandparents and relatives |
| Alabama | KinShare | Up to $500 annually for family expenses |
| New Jersey | Kinship support | Up to $500 yearly for furniture, technology, activities |
Also ask your state child welfare agency about guardianship assistance payments (GAP), which are usually set at or near the foster care rate and are available to relatives who become legal guardians of a child who was in agency custody. Every state also has a kinship navigator program funded through federal formula grants. Navigators know the local rules and can flag benefits the intake worker will not mention.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my income count for a TANF child-only grant?
In 47 states and the District of Columbia, no. Only Arizona, Nevada, and Oregon consider the caregiver's income for child-only eligibility, using limits of 130 percent, 275 percent, and 185 percent of the federal poverty level. No state counts your assets, savings, or home equity.
Do I need legal custody or guardianship to apply?
No. Child-only grants are based on the child living with you and being in your care. Legal custody is not required in any state, although a handful of states require it for nonrelated caregivers. Guardianship may open the door to larger guardianship assistance payments, which is a separate program.
Will getting a child-only grant use up the child's 60-month TANF limit?
Generally no. The federal 60-month lifetime limit applies to adults in the assistance unit. In a child-only case there is no aided adult, so the months typically do not count against anyone's clock. State rules differ slightly, so confirm with your caseworker.
Do I have to work or look for work to get the grant?
No. Because you are not in the assistance unit, TANF work requirements do not apply to you. Guam is the only jurisdiction that imposes a work requirement on kin caregivers seeking child-only benefits.
What happens if the child receives Social Security survivor benefits?
Survivor and dependent benefits count as the child's income and reduce or eliminate the grant. In most states a survivor benefit is larger than the child-only grant, so the child would not receive TANF. SSI is treated differently: the child is excluded from the unit rather than counted as income.
Can I get a child-only grant for more than one child?
Yes, but the payment is not per child. Every state pays less for the second and third child than for the first. Some states cap the total number of children covered.
How much is the average TANF child-only grant?
About $328 per month for one child, $447 for two children, and $555 for three children nationally. Amounts range from $81 for one child in Arkansas to over $800 in high-cost California counties.
Does a child-only grant affect my SNAP or my Social Security?
It does not affect your Social Security retirement benefits. TANF cash counts as unearned income for SNAP, but because child-only grants are small, most kinship households still qualify for SNAP. The child's Medicaid eligibility is determined on the child's income, not yours.
Why do so few kinship families get this benefit?
About 13 percent of children in kinship care receive a child-only grant. The main reasons are that families do not know the program exists, state websites rarely name it, intake staff are not trained on kinship applications, and the child support assignment requirement discourages applicants.
