Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Arizona | InmateAid
Arizona has more than 198,000 households headed by grandparents or other relatives who are raising related children. That number makes Arizona one of the largest kinship care states in the country. You are part of a population the state has noticed, and Arizona has specific programs for you -- including a Grandparent Stipend that no other state in this series offers by that name.
You did not plan for this. You raised your children. You got to the other side of it. And then your child was incarcerated and the grandchildren needed somewhere to go. You said yes.
This article covers what Arizona offers you -- the money, the legal pathways, the organizations that exist specifically to help grandparents in this state -- and what you need to do first.
The Decision You Already Made
You already made the hardest decision. The grandchildren are with you. Everything else in this article is about making that workable.
A few things to understand about your position in Arizona right now:
If you are caring for grandchildren without a formal legal arrangement, you are an informal caregiver. In Arizona, informal caregivers have limited legal authority -- enrolling children in school, authorizing medical care, and accessing many benefits programs all become more difficult without documentation.
If DCS (Department of Child Safety) placed the grandchildren with you, you are a kinship foster caregiver. Your status as licensed or unlicensed matters for which payments you receive.
If you arranged care directly with the parent without DCS involvement, you have more flexibility in establishing legal authority -- but you have to do it yourself.
In almost every case, the first priority is the same: establish legal authority. Everything else depends on it.
Legal Authority: What It Is and How to Get It in Arizona
**Guardianship**
Guardianship is the most common legal relationship for grandparents who are not going through DCS. It is established through the juvenile court. With guardianship, you have legal authority to enroll children in school, authorize medical care, apply for benefits, and make day-to-day decisions.
Arizona Children's Association provides assistance completing guardianship packets to help caregivers register children for school and apply for medical services in Phoenix and Tucson. They also provide advocacy for caregivers and children in school, courts, healthcare, mental health agencies, benefits programs, and DCS.
Arizona Legal Services Corporation and other legal aid organizations provide free or low-cost help with guardianship petitions. Contact your county's legal aid office or call 2-1-1 to be connected with legal services in your area.
**Subsidized Permanent Guardianship (SPG)**
Arizona offers Subsidized Permanent Guardianship as a long-term option when reunification and adoption are both off the table. If the children came through DCS and the case is heading toward a permanent resolution, eligible guardians may receive a subsidy payment under SPG. Ask the DCS case manager whether SPG is an option in your case.
**Adoption**
Adoption permanently terminates the biological parent's parental rights and establishes you as the legal parent. It is not reversible. For families where the incarcerated parent has a realistic path to release and reunification, adoption ends that possibility. Discuss adoption with a family law attorney before proceeding.
**Legal Decision-Making / Custody Without DCS Involvement**
If DCS is not involved and you are seeking formal authority, an Arizona court can grant you legal decision-making (Arizona's term for legal custody) and parenting time over the grandchildren. A parent's incarceration is documented grounds. Arizona Children's Association in Tucson and Duet (Phoenix) can provide guidance on this process.
Money: What Arizona Offers Kinship Caregivers
**Grandparent Stipend Program -- $75 per Month**
Arizona has a Grandparent Stipend Program that provides grandparents and great-grandparents $75 per month per child. To qualify:
- You must be below a certain income threshold (the program is income-tested)
- You must NOT be a licensed foster parent
- You must NOT be receiving TANF assistance for the children
You do not need DCS involvement to apply. This is one of the few named grandparent-specific stipend programs in this series. It is modest, but it is money you do not have to repay and it does not require a dependency case. Ask your DCS case manager or contact Arizona Kinship Support Services (arizonakinship.org) about how to apply.
**Kinship Foster Caregiver Stipend -- Automatic for Unlicensed DCS Placements**
If DCS placed the grandchildren with you and you are unlicensed, you are automatically eligible for the Kinship Foster Caregiver Stipend. The daily rate is $9.86 per child. This should appear on the DCS billing sheet as service code "unlic grpar-fc."
If you are an unlicensed kinship family and this line does not appear on the DCS billing sheet, notify the child's DCS case manager and/or your licensing worker immediately. The stipend is automatic -- if it is not being paid, someone needs to correct the paperwork.
**TANF Cash Assistance -- DCS Must Help You Apply**
If DCS placed the grandchildren with you as an unlicensed foster family, TANF cash assistance is awarded regardless of your income. Benefits range from $164 per month for one child to $506 per month for seven children. The DCS case manager must assist you with the TANF application -- this is not something you navigate alone.
Important: once you become a licensed foster parent, you are no longer eligible for TANF for the DCS-placed children. At that point, the licensed foster care payment takes over.
If DCS is not involved, you can apply independently for a TANF child-only grant through the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) Family Assistance Administration (FAA). The child-only grant looks only at the child's income, not yours. Apply online at healthearizonaplus.gov or at your local DES office.
Children receiving TANF are automatically enrolled in AHCCCS (Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System), which is Arizona's Medicaid program.
**AHCCCS (Arizona Medicaid)**
Children in kinship care are generally eligible for AHCCCS regardless of the grandparent's income. AHCCCS covers doctor visits, dental care, prescriptions, mental health services, and vision. Apply at healthearizonaplus.gov or at a DES office. Get the grandchildren enrolled in AHCCCS as quickly as possible.
**SNAP (Food Assistance)**
Apply for SNAP through DES. The grandchildren's presence increases your household benefit level. Apply at healthearizonaplus.gov.
**Child Support from the Incarcerated Parent**
Many grandparents do not know this: if you have court-ordered physical custody of the grandchildren for 30 or more consecutive days, you are eligible for child support services through the DES Division of Child Support Services (DCSS). DCSS can help you establish a child support order from the incarcerated parent. A child support order results in a monthly obligation from both parents for the support of the child.
Contact DES Child Support Services at 602-252-4045 or online at des.az.gov/services/child-support. The amount collected from an incarcerated parent may be modest during incarceration but the order remains in effect after release.
**Emergency Funds**
Arizona kinship support organizations report that emergency funds exist for clothing, school books, food, diapers, graduation expenses, passports, educational fees, and special needs-related expenses. These emergency funds are available through DCS and through kinship support organizations. Ask your DCS case manager or contact the Arizona Family Foster Care Association (affcf.org) to find out what is available in your county.
**Social Security**
If the incarcerated parent was working before arrest, the grandchildren may be eligible for Social Security dependent benefits. Call 1-800-772-1213. SSI may be available for grandchildren with disabilities.
Arizona's Heat and What It Means for New Caregivers
Arizona has a climate that requires specific attention for families adding children to a household. Arizona summers routinely exceed 110 degrees in the Phoenix metro and surrounding areas. Cooling costs are significant and a household that was sized for one or two adults suddenly has children at home during the day.
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides utility assistance to low-income households. Apply through DES at 1-800-582-5706. If cooling assistance is available in your area, it may be called the Arizona Utility Assistance Program.
For families where the grandchildren arrive in summer -- which is when people are least prepared for an energy burden increase -- make the utility assistance call early. Do not wait until the bill is unmanageable.
Key Arizona Organizations
**Duet Partners in Health & Aging (Phoenix)**
602-274-5022 | duetaz.org
Support groups (virtual available), legal guidance and assistance, respite assistance, educational workshops, grandfamily outings, and a regular newsletter. All services are free of charge. Specifically for grandparents raising grandchildren. One of the most comprehensive resources in the Phoenix area.
**KARE Family Center (Tucson)**
Specialized case management and other services for relatives caring for youth. Support groups for grandparents and other relatives, including groups for Spanish-speaking caregivers. Educational forums on guardianship and adoption. Referrals to community resources. Contact through Arizona Children's Association (arizonaschildren.org).
**Arizona Grandparent Ambassadors**
520-722-5945 | azga.org
Volunteer network of grandparents raising grandchildren. Works with elected leaders and community. Annual summit, Grandfamily at the Capitol Day, informative workshops, monthly steering committee meetings, quarterly events.
**Arizona Kinship Support Services**
arizonakinship.org
Statewide organization funded by the Department of Health and Human Services. Works to increase safety, permanency, and well-being of children in kinship care.
**Arizona Children's Association (Kinship Support Services)**
arizonaschildren.org
Guardianship packet completion, school registration assistance, medical services applications, court advocacy. Phoenix and Tucson service areas.
**Arizona Family Foster Care Association (AFFCF)**
affcf.org
Resources, information, and support for kinship caregivers. Can help with questions about the Grandparent Stipend Program and emergency funds.
The School Question
With guardianship or legal decision-making documents, school enrollment is straightforward.
Without legal authority, use the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Schools must immediately enroll children who lack stable housing documentation, including children living with relatives due to a parent's incarceration. Ask for the school district's McKinney-Vento liaison if the school creates barriers.
Arizona Children's Association can help you complete the guardianship packet that enables school enrollment and medical services applications -- this is one of their core services in Phoenix and Tucson.
For children with IEPs or 504 plans, you will need legal authority or a signed parental authorization from the incarcerated parent to participate in planning meetings. ADCRR (Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry) facilities have notary services; coordinate through the facility case manager.
Medical Authorization Before Court Paperwork Is Done
Without legal authority, routine medical care may be refused. Emergency care cannot be denied.
Get a notarized parental consent form from the incarcerated parent as quickly as possible. ADCRR facilities have notary services -- contact the facility case manager. This handles routine medical authorization while you work through the court process.
Enroll the grandchildren in AHCCCS (Arizona Medicaid) immediately. Apply at healthearizonaplus.gov. AHCCCS enrollment does not require you to have legal authority -- it requires proof of the child's identity and Arizona residency.
What She Is Carrying That He Cannot See
You did not plan for this stage of your life. You planned for other things. And now the grandchildren need lunch money, school shoes, a dentist appointment, someone to show up at the school play, someone to sit with them when they are afraid. You are doing all of this while also carrying your own feelings about your child who is incarcerated -- feelings that do not have to resolve on any particular schedule.
You are allowed to need help. The organizations listed in this article exist because the number of people in your situation in Arizona is large enough -- 198,000 households -- that the problem required organized response.
Duet in Phoenix and KARE in Tucson offer support groups specifically for grandparents in kinship care. A room of people who actually understand what this is costs nothing and gives more than most other things available to you.
Talking to the Grandchildren About Where Their Parent Is
The children know something is wrong. Even very young children know. Silence does not protect them.
Use honest, age-appropriate language. For a young child: "Your dad made a mistake and he has to stay somewhere else while he learns from it. You are safe and I am here." For an older child: "Your mom is in prison. She did something against the law and a judge decided she needs to be there for a while. She loves you. She is not in danger."
Do not make promises about when the parent will be home that you cannot keep. Let the children have their feelings. Keep the parent present in appropriate ways -- a photo, letters, phone calls.
Arizona ADCRR phone calls go through Securus Technologies. You control which numbers are on the approved list. The grandchildren's relationship with their incarcerated parent is their relationship -- not yours to manage based on your feelings about what your child did.
AHCCCS covers mental health services for children. If the grandchildren are struggling, ask the school counselor for a referral or contact the child's AHCCCS primary care provider for a mental health referral.
Your Relationship With Your Incarcerated Child
Your feelings about your child are complicated. You are raising their children because your child cannot. You can love your child and be angry. You can hope for their release and be afraid of what comes after. Both are true.
What the grandchildren need: to see that you are not punishing their parent through them.
What you need: permission to have your own feelings without performing them for anyone. Duet (Phoenix) and KARE (Tucson) both work with grandparents navigating this specific emotional terrain alongside the practical challenges. Other grandparents in support groups are the most credible people to sit with you in this.
What to Do First: A Practical Checklist
Establish legal authority. Contact Arizona Children's Association (arizonaschildren.org) for guardianship packet assistance in Phoenix or Tucson. Contact your county legal aid organization. Get a notarized parental consent from the incarcerated parent (through ADCRR notary services) for immediate medical and school authorization.
If DCS placed the children: verify the Kinship Foster Caregiver Stipend is appearing on the DCS billing sheet as "unlic grpar-fc." Ask your DCS case manager about TANF assistance for the children -- they must help you apply. Ask about Subsidized Permanent Guardianship if the case is heading toward long-term resolution.
If DCS is not involved: apply for the Grandparent Stipend ($75/month per child if income-eligible and not receiving TANF). Apply for TANF child-only grant at healthearizonaplus.gov.
Apply for AHCCCS (Arizona Medicaid) for the grandchildren immediately. Apply for SNAP.
Apply for LIHEAP/utility assistance if summer or high cooling costs are a factor. 1-800-582-5706.
Apply for child support services through DES DCSS if you have 30+ consecutive days of physical custody. 602-252-4045 or des.az.gov/services/child-support.
Enroll the children in school. Use McKinney-Vento if needed. Arizona Children's Association can help.
Contact Duet (Phoenix, 602-274-5022) or KARE (Tucson) for support group and community connection.
Take care of yourself. The 198,000 other households in Arizona who are doing what you are doing understand in a way that most other people in your life do not.
FAQ
**What is the Arizona Grandparent Stipend Program?** Arizona provides grandparents and great-grandparents a $75 per month per child stipend if they are below a certain income threshold and are not licensed foster parents and not receiving TANF. DCS involvement is not required. Contact Arizona Kinship Support Services (arizonakinship.org) or your DCS case manager for application information.
**What is the Kinship Foster Caregiver Stipend and how do I verify I am receiving it?** If DCS placed children with you as an unlicensed kinship caregiver, you are automatically eligible for a daily stipend of $9.86 per child. It appears on the DCS billing sheet as "unlic grpar-fc." If it does not appear, notify the child's DCS case manager immediately. You do not have to ask for it -- it should be automatic. If it is not there, something needs to be corrected.
**Can I get child support from an incarcerated parent?** Yes. If you have court-ordered physical custody of the grandchildren for 30 or more consecutive days, you are eligible for child support services through DES Division of Child Support Services (DCSS). DCSS can establish a child support order from the incarcerated parent. Contact: 602-252-4045 or des.az.gov/services/child-support.
**What legal authority do I need and how do I get it?** Guardianship through the juvenile court is the most common pathway for grandparents not going through DCS. Arizona Children's Association provides guardianship packet assistance in Phoenix and Tucson. Legal aid organizations provide free or low-cost help. Without legal authority, get a notarized parental consent form from the incarcerated parent through the ADCRR facility notary services for immediate medical authorization.
**Can I enroll my grandchildren in school without guardianship papers?** Yes, under the federal McKinney-Vento Act. Schools must immediately enroll children living with relatives due to a parent's incarceration even without typical documentation. Ask for the district's McKinney-Vento liaison. Arizona Children's Association also helps complete guardianship packets that enable standard enrollment.
**What is Duet and who does it serve?** Duet Partners in Health & Aging (602-274-5022; duetaz.org) provides free services specifically for grandparents raising grandchildren in the Phoenix area: support groups (virtual available), legal guidance, respite assistance, educational workshops, grandfamily outings, and a newsletter. It is one of the most comprehensive free resources available to Phoenix-area grandparents in kinship care.
**How do I handle the heat and utility costs with children in the house?** Apply for LIHEAP utility assistance through DES at 1-800-582-5706. Summer cooling costs in Arizona are real and increase significantly when children are home during the day. Apply before the bill becomes unmanageable.