Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in California

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in California | InmateAid

California has one of the most developed kinship care support systems in the country. It has Kin-GAP -- a subsidized guardianship program that provides monthly payments to relative guardians of children who came through the foster care system. It has CalWORKs with a specific "non-needy caregiver relative" track that does not count your income when determining whether the grandchildren qualify for cash assistance. It has the Kinship Support Services Program, which provides support to relative caregivers whether or not the courts are involved.

And as of October 2025, California has a new California Kinship Navigator program that provides personal assistants -- free of charge -- to connect caregivers quickly to food, housing, employment, education, and advocacy resources.

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.

California has resources for you. The system operates through counties, which means the rates, processes, and specific contacts vary by where you live. This article explains what exists statewide and what to ask for at your county welfare department.

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 -- legally, financially, practically.

A few things to understand about your position in California right now:

If you are caring for grandchildren without a formal legal arrangement, you are an informal caregiver. In California, informal caregivers have limited legal authority -- authorizing medical care, enrolling children in school, and accessing many benefits programs are harder without documentation.

If the county child welfare agency placed the grandchildren with you, you are in the formal foster kinship care system. Your rights and available payments depend on whether you are licensed and on the terms of the dependency case.

If you arranged care directly with the parent without child welfare involvement, you have more flexibility -- but you have to establish legal authority yourself.

California's county welfare departments (Department of Social Services or equivalent in your county) are your primary contacts. The state sets the framework; the county implements it.

Legal Authority: What It Is and How to Get It in California

**Legal Guardianship**

For most grandparents in California without child welfare involvement, guardianship through the Probate Court or Juvenile Court is the primary pathway to formal legal authority. With guardianship, you can enroll children in school, authorize medical care, apply for benefits, and make day-to-day decisions.

Contact your county's legal aid organization for assistance. Legal Aid organizations operate in every county in California. For northern California: lsnc.net. For southern California: lajustice.org (Bet Tzedek) or lafla.org (Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles). For a county-by-county directory, use the State Bar of California's lawyer referral service at lawhelpca.org.

**Kin-GAP (Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment Program)**

Kin-GAP is California's subsidized guardianship program and one of the most significant financial supports available to California kinship families. It is available when:

- The child has been in long-term foster care placement with you as the relative guardian

- Reunification with the parent is not an option

- Adoption is not the appropriate permanency plan

Kin-GAP provides a monthly payment to the relative guardian. The amount is based on the foster care rate at the time of transition to Kin-GAP. Children in Kin-GAP receive Medi-Cal and an annual state supplemental clothing allowance.

The Agency-Relative Guardianship Agreement (SOC 369) must be signed before the court establishes guardianship. If this step is missed, the child may only be eligible for state-funded (not federally-funded) Kin-GAP.

Ask your child's county child welfare worker specifically about Kin-GAP eligibility if the children came through the foster care system.

**Adoption**

Adoption permanently terminates the biological parent's parental rights. It is not reversible and should be considered carefully, especially when the incarcerated parent has a realistic path to release and reunification. California does offer adoption assistance for children adopted from foster care who have special needs.

Money: What California Offers Kinship Caregivers

**CalWORKs -- Non-Needy Caregiver Relative (Child-Only Option)**

CalWORKs is California's TANF program. It has a specific track for grandparents and relative caregivers that most people do not know to ask for: the "non-needy caregiver relative" option.

When you apply as a non-needy caregiver relative, the county does NOT count your income or property to determine if the children are eligible. Only the children's income is counted. Your pension, Social Security income, savings, or other resources do not affect whether the children qualify.

Who qualifies as a "close relative" for CalWORKs: grandparent, sibling, uncle, aunt, granduncle, grandaunt, niece, nephew, first cousin, first cousin once removed, and any "great" or "great-great" grandparent, grandaunt, or granduncle.

If a DHS worker or county welfare office worker tells you that you earn too much, ask specifically: "Do you have a non-needy caregiver relative option where only the children's income is counted?" This is a real option and you are entitled to it if you are a close relative as defined above.

You can also apply for CalWORKs for yourself as a "needy caretaker relative" if you need aid beyond child-only assistance. In that case, your income counts. Note: if you are 60 or older, you are exempt from work activity requirements.

Apply at BenefitsCal.com (California's online benefits portal) or at your county welfare department.

**Kin-GAP Monthly Payment**

If the children came through the foster care system and guardianship is the permanency plan, Kin-GAP provides a monthly payment at approximately the foster care rate. Ask the child welfare worker whether Kin-GAP is an available option. Children in Kin-GAP also receive Medi-Cal and an annual clothing allowance.

**Medi-Cal (California Medicaid)**

Children in kinship care are generally eligible for Medi-Cal regardless of the grandparent's immigration or income status in many cases. Medi-Cal covers doctor visits, dental, prescriptions, mental health services, emergency care, vision, and (through CalAIM) expanded behavioral health and community-based services.

Apply for Medi-Cal at BenefitsCal.com or at your county welfare department. Get the grandchildren enrolled in Medi-Cal as quickly as possible -- health coverage is one of the most urgent practical needs when children arrive.

**CalFresh (Food Assistance / California SNAP)**

CalFresh is California's food assistance program. Unlike CalWORKs, CalFresh is household-based -- your income generally counts for the combined household application. However, if you are 60 or older, or receive disability benefits, you benefit from more income deductions and there is no up-front income limit for CalFresh. Apply at BenefitsCal.com.

**California Kinship Navigator (New -- October 2025)**

As of October 2025, California has a new statewide Kinship Navigator program (ACIN I-55-25). It provides free personal assistants who help caregivers quickly access resources including food, housing, employment, education, and advocacy. Access through CDSS at cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/foster-care/kinship-care/resources-for-kinship-caregivers.

This is a new program and one of the most accessible entry points into California's support network for kinship caregivers.

**Kinship Support Services Program (KSSP)**

The state-funded KSSP provides non-financial support services to relative caregivers. It covers both children who are dependents of the juvenile court AND children who are not court-involved. Services include in-home support, counseling, support groups, respite resources, advocacy, information and referrals, legal referrals, guardianship workshops, and assistance with basic emergency needs.

KSSP is operated through contracted agencies like Lilliput Children's Services and Wayfinder Family Services in different counties. Ask your county child welfare department about KSSP providers in your area.

**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.

**County-Level Variation**

California's benefits are administered by counties. Eligibility standards and benefit rates can differ. If you are in Los Angeles County, your county welfare department is DCFS and DPSS. In other counties, it is your county's Department of Social Services or Human Services. The process, rates, and contacts differ by county. BenefitsCal.com applies statewide but the processing is handled locally.

The School Question

With guardianship 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 the school district's McKinney-Vento liaison if the school creates enrollment barriers.

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. CDCR (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation) facilities have notary services -- coordinate through the facility case manager to get a parental authorization signed.

Medical Authorization Before Court Paperwork Is Done

Without legal authority, routine medical care may be refused in non-emergency situations. Emergency care cannot be denied.

The fastest fix: a notarized parental consent form. An incarcerated parent at a CDCR facility can sign a notarized authorization granting you medical decision-making authority for the children. CDCR facilities have notary services. Contact the facility case manager to arrange.

Enroll the grandchildren in Medi-Cal at BenefitsCal.com immediately. Medi-Cal enrollment does not require you to have legal authority -- it requires documentation of the child's identity and California residency.

What She Is Carrying That He Cannot See

You did not plan for this stage of your life. The grandchildren arrived -- and with them came school forms, doctor appointments, homework, lunch money, someone to be home when they get off the bus, someone to sit with a child having a nightmare.

You are also carrying complicated feelings about your own child who is incarcerated. Those feelings do not have to resolve on any schedule. You can love your child and be angry. You can hope and fear the same outcome simultaneously.

California's Kinship Support Services Program connects you with support groups for relative caregivers. Lilliput Children's Services operates KSSP in multiple counties and specifically offers counseling, respite care, and peer support. The California Kinship Navigator can connect you to support in your county.

You are allowed to need help. Getting it is not a sign that you cannot do this. It is a sign that you are paying attention to what this actually requires.

Talking to the Grandchildren About Where Their Parent Is

The children know something is wrong. 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 feelings -- anger, grief, confusion -- without rushing to fix them. Keep the parent present in appropriate ways: a photo, letters, phone calls when suitable.

CDCR phone calls go through Preferred Communications of California (a Securus affiliate). You control which numbers are on the approved list. The grandchildren's relationship with their incarcerated parent is theirs.

Medi-Cal covers mental health services for children. If the grandchildren are struggling, ask the school counselor for a referral or the child's Medi-Cal primary care provider.

Your Relationship With Your Incarcerated Child

Your feelings about your child are complicated. You are raising their children because they cannot. You can love your child and be furious about what they did. You can want them home and be afraid of what that means.

What the grandchildren need: to see that you are not punishing their parent through them.

What you need: a place to hold the complicated feelings that is not in front of the grandchildren. KSSP support groups, a therapist, a trusted person, your faith community -- any of these is better than holding it alone in a California where the weight is real.

What to Do First: A Practical Checklist

Access the California Kinship Navigator. cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/foster-care/kinship-care/resources-for-kinship-caregivers. Free personal assistants to connect you to resources immediately.

Apply for CalWORKs as a non-needy caregiver relative. BenefitsCal.com or your county welfare department. If the worker says you make too much, ask specifically for the non-needy caregiver relative option where only the children's income is counted.

Apply for Medi-Cal for the grandchildren at the same time. BenefitsCal.com. Do not wait for guardianship.

Apply for CalFresh at the same time. BenefitsCal.com.

Establish legal authority. Contact your county legal aid organization about guardianship. If the children came through child welfare, ask about Kin-GAP eligibility. Get a notarized parental consent from the incarcerated parent through CDCR notary services for immediate medical authorization.

Enroll the children in school. Use McKinney-Vento if the school creates barriers.

Contact KSSP through your county child welfare department. Non-financial support services are available whether or not the courts are involved.

Ask about KSSP support groups. Other grandparents who have navigated California's county welfare system are the most credible people to sit with you in this.

Take care of yourself. California has the resources. Getting to them is the work.

FAQ

**What is CalWORKs and what does "non-needy caregiver relative" mean?** CalWORKs is California's TANF program. When you apply as a non-needy caregiver relative, the county does not count your income or property -- only the children's income is counted to determine eligibility. This means even if you have a pension, Social Security, or other income, the grandchildren may still qualify. Apply at BenefitsCal.com or your county welfare department. If a worker says you earn too much, ask specifically for the "non-needy caregiver relative" option.

**What is Kin-GAP?** Kin-GAP (Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment Program) is California's subsidized guardianship program. It provides a monthly payment to relative guardians of children who came through the foster care system when reunification and adoption are not the permanency plan. Children in Kin-GAP receive Medi-Cal and an annual clothing allowance. The Agency-Relative Guardianship Agreement (SOC 369) must be signed before guardianship is established for full federal funding. Ask your county child welfare worker about Kin-GAP eligibility.

**What is the California Kinship Navigator?** As of October 2025, California has a new statewide Kinship Navigator program that provides free personal assistants to connect caregivers quickly to food, housing, employment, education, and advocacy resources. Access at cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/foster-care/kinship-care/resources-for-kinship-caregivers. This is the fastest first-contact point to navigate California's system.

**What is the Kinship Support Services Program (KSSP)?** KSSP is a state-funded program providing non-financial support services to relative caregivers -- including support groups, counseling, in-home support, respite care, guardianship workshops, advocacy, and basic emergency assistance. It is available for both court-involved and non-court-involved children. Ask your county child welfare department about KSSP providers in your area.

**Can I enroll my grandchildren in school without guardianship papers?** Yes. Under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, schools must immediately enroll children living with relatives due to a parent's incarceration even without typical documentation. Ask the school district for its McKinney-Vento liaison.

**How do CalFresh and CalWORKs differ for grandparents?** For CalWORKs, you can apply as a non-needy caregiver relative and your income is not counted for the children's eligibility. For CalFresh, your household income generally counts -- but if you are 60 or older or have a disability, you receive additional deductions and there is no up-front income limit, which may make you eligible even at higher income levels. Apply for both at BenefitsCal.com.

**How do I talk to the grandchildren about their parent being in prison?** Use honest, age-appropriate language without making promises about when the parent will be home. Let the children have feelings without rushing to fix them. Keep the parent present in appropriate ways -- photos, letters, phone calls. CDCR phone calls go through Preferred Communications of California. Medi-Cal covers children's mental health services; ask the school counselor or the child's primary care provider for a referral if needed.