Schema: Article + FAQPage
Internal links (5): Delaware inmate search, send money, Delaware reentry resources, Staying Connected hub, how prison works hub
Voice: Plain, honest, practical. No false comfort. No condescension. She made a choice. Honor it and give her what she needs.
META BLOCK:
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Delaware | InmateAid
Delaware is a small state. It is 96 miles long and 35 miles wide at its widest point. Its three counties -- New Castle in the north, Kent in the center, Sussex in the south -- have 15 State Service Centers between them. No correctional facility in Delaware is more than about 90 minutes from any other part of the state.
This matters for grandparents raising grandchildren while a parent is incarcerated. Visiting is more accessible in Delaware than in almost any other state in this series. The scale is human.
Delaware also has a specific program designed exactly for the situation you are in: the Kinship Care Program, which provides assistance for relative caregivers during the first 180 days after a child moves into your home. Not 180 days from when you get legal authority. 180 days from when the child arrives. The clock is running. Apply now if you have not already.
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.
Delaware has resources for you. This article tells you what they are and what 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 Delaware right now:
If you are caring for grandchildren without a formal legal arrangement, you are an informal caregiver. In Delaware, informal caregivers have limited legal authority -- authorizing medical care, enrolling children in school, and accessing most financial assistance programs require either a legal relationship or active pursuit of one.
Delaware's Kinship Care Program requires that caregivers have guardianship or "actively pursue" guardianship. This means you can access the program while working toward legal authority, not just after you have obtained it. But you have to be working on it.
Delaware's three-division structure -- Division of Social Services (DSS), Division of State Service Centers (DSSC), and Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD) -- all have roles in supporting kinship caregivers. This can feel like a lot of doors. The Delaware Helpline at 2-1-1 (1-800-464-4357) will help you find the right one.
Legal Authority: What It Is and How to Get It in Delaware
**Guardianship**
Delaware family courts handle guardianship petitions. Guardianship gives you legal authority to enroll children in school, authorize medical care, apply for benefits, and make day-to-day decisions for the grandchildren.
An incarcerated parent's inability to care for the children is documented grounds for guardianship. You do not need the parent's consent if you can demonstrate they cannot care for the children.
Delaware Community Legal Aid Society provides free legal services to income-eligible Delawareans. Contact: 1-302-575-0660 or declasi.org. The Delaware Volunteer Legal Services (DVLS) also provides legal assistance through its programs.
You do not have to wait for guardianship to be granted before contacting the Kinship Care Program. The program requires that you have or be actively pursuing guardianship. Start the guardianship process and contact the Kinship Care Program at the same time.
**Power of Attorney**
A notarized parental Power of Attorney from the incarcerated parent gives you immediate authority for school enrollment and medical care while you work through the guardianship process. Delaware DOC facilities have notary services -- contact the facility case manager to arrange.
A Power of Attorney does not replace guardianship but it solves the immediate problem.
**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. Discuss adoption with a family law attorney before proceeding.
The 180-Day Kinship Care Program
Delaware's Kinship Care Program is one of the most time-sensitive programs in this series. It provides assistance specifically during the **180-day transition period** from when a child first moves into the non-parent caregiver's home.
The program assists with immediate needs for:
- Clothing
- Shelter
- Health
- Safety
- Educational supplies
This is not an ongoing monthly payment program. It is transition-period assistance for the window when the grandchildren arrive and the household suddenly has to absorb the cost of additional children before any other assistance is in place.
**Eligibility:**
- You must be related to the child within the **fifth degree of consanguinity** (by blood or marriage)
- You must have guardianship or be actively pursuing guardianship
- The child must live in your home
- Your household income must be at or below **200% of the federal poverty level**
- The children's parents cannot live in your home
- Children must be under 18
**How to apply:**
The Kinship Care Program is offered at Delaware's 15 State Service Centers. Call 1-866-843-7212 or contact your nearest State Service Center. The Division of State Service Centers general line is 302-255-9675.
**The funding is limited.** Delaware's Kinship Care Program is funded by the state legislature and is subject to available funds. Do not wait. If the grandchildren arrived in the last 180 days and you have not yet applied, call today.
Money: What Delaware Offers Kinship Caregivers
**TANF (Temporary Aid for Needy Families)**
Delaware calls the program "Temporary Aid for Needy Families" -- the same TANF acronym. You can apply in three ways:
1. **For yourself only** -- your income and assets count
2. **For yourself and the child** -- household income and assets count; work requirements may apply
3. **For the child only** -- only the child's income and assets are considered; your income does not count
You do **not** need custody or guardianship to apply for TANF in Delaware, but you must be related to the child.
Apply at assist.dhss.delaware.gov or at your local Division of Social Services office. The DSS general information line is 1-800-372-2022.
**General Assistance (GA) -- For Unrelated Caregivers**
Delaware has a specific program called General Assistance that covers two situations: unemployable adults, and people caring for **unrelated** children. If you are a family friend, godparent, or other non-relative who stepped in to care for the grandchildren (or the children of a friend), GA may be available to you. For GA applications for child care of unrelated children, only the child's assets and income are considered.
This is one of the few named programs in this series specifically designed for non-related caregivers. If you are not the grandparent but someone else who said yes, ask about GA.
Contact your local DSS office. Apply at assist.dhss.delaware.gov.
**Delaware Medicaid / CHIP**
Children in kinship care are generally eligible for Delaware Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Medicaid covers doctor visits, dental, prescriptions, mental health services, and emergency care. Apply through DSS at assist.dhss.delaware.gov.
Get the grandchildren enrolled in Medicaid as quickly as possible.
**SNAP (Food Assistance)**
Apply for SNAP through DSS at assist.dhss.delaware.gov. The grandchildren's presence increases your household benefit level.
**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.
Joining Generations and Grand Time Off
Delaware's Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD) operates two specific programs for grandparent caregivers:
**Joining Generations / Family Circles**
Joining Generations is DSAAPD's statewide intergenerational program. It administers the Family Circles program -- support and education groups for grandparents and relatives raising others' children. These are peer-support groups specifically for people in your situation.
Contact Joining Generations: 1-800-223-9074 or DSAAPDinfo@state.de.us.
**Grand Time Off**
Grand Time Off is a Delaware DSAAPD respite program for grandparent caregivers. Respite means temporary relief -- someone to watch the grandchildren so you can have a break, go to an appointment, manage your own needs.
If you are 60 or older and caring for grandchildren, ask specifically about Grand Time Off when you contact Joining Generations.
These two programs -- Family Circles and Grand Time Off -- are Delaware-specific and serve a population that is otherwise largely invisible to the service system: older adults who are caregiving when they expected to be done.
The Delaware Helpline: 2-1-1
Delaware operates a comprehensive information and referral helpline at 2-1-1 (or 1-800-464-4357). It is available Monday through Friday 7:30am-6:00pm. If you do not know where to start or which agency to call, this is the right first call.
The helpline can connect you with:
- Your nearest State Service Center for Kinship Care Program
- DSS offices for TANF, SNAP, and Medicaid
- Legal aid for guardianship
- Support groups through Joining Generations
- Emergency services
- And other resources specific to your county and situation
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 barriers.
Delaware has three school districts by county -- Christina/Red Clay/Brandywine in New Castle, Capital/Lake Forest/Smyrna in Kent, Indian River/Cape Henlopen/Milford/Sussex Academy in Sussex. Contact the district's student services office to ask about McKinney-Vento enrollment if you do not yet have legal authority.
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. Delaware DOC facilities have notary services -- contact 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 Power of Attorney from the incarcerated parent through Delaware DOC notary services. Contact the facility case manager. This handles routine medical authorization while you work through the guardianship process.
Enroll the grandchildren in Delaware Medicaid at assist.dhss.delaware.gov. Medicaid enrollment does not require legal authority -- it requires proof of the child's identity and Delaware 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 everything a parent does: school forms, lunches, doctor appointments, someone to be home after school, someone to sit with a child who wakes up afraid.
You are also carrying complicated feelings about your own child who is incarcerated. Those feelings do not have to resolve. You can love your child and be furious about what they did. You can hope they get out and be afraid of what that looks like.
Delaware is small. Communities are tight, particularly in Kent and Sussex counties. When news travels -- and it does -- some people disappear. Some offer opinions. What you need -- one person who can sit with you in the reality of what this is without making it about themselves -- is harder to find than it should be.
Joining Generations and Family Circles exist specifically for you. A room of people who actually know what this is worth more than most other things. Call 1-800-223-9074.
**Grand Time Off** exists so you can take a breath. Use it.
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 without rushing to fix them. Keep the parent present in appropriate ways: photos, letters, phone calls.
Delaware DOC phone calls go through Securus Technologies. You control which numbers are approved. The grandchildren's relationship with their incarcerated parent is theirs.
Delaware Medicaid covers mental health services for children. If the grandchildren are struggling, ask the school counselor for a referral or the child's Medicaid primary care provider.
Your Relationship With Your Incarcerated Child
Your feelings about your child are complicated. You are raising their children because they cannot. Both things are true.
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. Family Circles support groups through Joining Generations, a therapist, a trusted person in your community -- any of these is better than carrying it alone.
What to Do First: A Practical Checklist
Call the Delaware Helpline at 2-1-1 (1-800-464-4357) if you do not know where to start. Let them direct you.
Apply for the Kinship Care Program immediately. The 180-day clock is running from when the grandchildren arrived. Call your nearest State Service Center at 1-866-843-7212. You need to be pursuing guardianship to qualify.
Start the guardianship process. Contact Delaware Community Legal Aid Society (1-302-575-0660; declasi.org) for free legal help. You do not need guardianship finalized to access the Kinship Care Program -- but you need to be actively pursuing it.
Get a notarized Power of Attorney from the incarcerated parent through Delaware DOC notary services. Contact the facility case manager. This gives you immediate authority for medical and school decisions.
Apply for TANF child-only. assist.dhss.delaware.gov or your county DSS office. DSS: 1-800-372-2022. You do not need legal authority to apply -- only relationship.
Apply for Delaware Medicaid and SNAP at the same time. assist.dhss.delaware.gov.
Contact Joining Generations (1-800-223-9074) about Family Circles support groups and Grand Time Off respite care.
Enroll the grandchildren in school. Use McKinney-Vento if needed.
Take care of yourself. Delaware is small. The resources are closer than they feel right now.
FAQ
**What is Delaware's Kinship Care Program?** The Kinship Care Program provides financial assistance for relative caregivers during the 180-day transition period after a child first moves into your home. It assists with immediate needs for clothing, shelter, health, safety, and educational supplies. Eligibility requires you to be related within the fifth degree of consanguinity, have or be actively pursuing guardianship, have household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, and have the parents not living in your home. Apply at your nearest State Service Center; call 1-866-843-7212. Funding is limited -- apply immediately.
**Do I need legal custody to apply for TANF in Delaware?** No. Delaware allows you to apply for TANF child-only without custody or guardianship, as long as you are related to the child. For the child-only option, only the child's income and assets are counted -- not yours. Apply at assist.dhss.delaware.gov or through your county DSS office at 1-800-372-2022.
**What is General Assistance and who is it for?** General Assistance (GA) is a Delaware cash program specifically designed for, among others, people caring for unrelated children. If you are a family friend or non-relative who stepped in to raise children when the parent was incarcerated, GA may be available. Only the child's income and assets are considered. Apply through DSS.
**What is Joining Generations?** Joining Generations is a DSAAPD statewide program that administers Family Circles -- peer support and education groups for grandparents and relatives raising others' children. Contact: 1-800-223-9074 or DSAAPDinfo@state.de.us. Grand Time Off, also through DSAAPD, provides respite care for grandparent caregivers. Ask about both programs when you call.
**What legal authority do I need and how do I get it?** Start with a notarized parental Power of Attorney from the incarcerated parent through Delaware DOC notary services -- this gives you immediate authority for medical and school decisions. Then pursue guardianship through the family court. Delaware Community Legal Aid Society (1-302-575-0660; declasi.org) provides free assistance to income-eligible residents. You can apply for the Kinship Care Program while the guardianship is in process.
**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's McKinney-Vento liaison.
**How do I talk to the grandchildren about their parent being in prison?** Use honest, age-appropriate language without promises about when the parent will be home. Let the children have their feelings. Keep the parent present in appropriate ways -- photos, letters, phone calls. Delaware DOC phone calls go through Securus Technologies. Delaware Medicaid covers children's mental health services; ask the school counselor or primary care provider for a referral if the grandchildren are struggling.
[SPEC NOTE: Folder 1mWUamVufeanK-LZbmcw4rbPb7yRIWRSP. Internal CTAs: Delaware inmate search, send money, Delaware reentry resources, Staying Connected hub, how prison works hub. SOURCING: dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dssc/kinshipcr.html (Kinship Care Program 180-day transition period when child first moves into non-parent caregiver's home; assists clothing shelter health safety educational supplies; Delaware General Assembly funding limited to available funds; DSCYF and DHSS partnership; 15 State Service Centers); dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/main/children.htm (Joining Generations statewide intergenerational program DSAAPD; Family Circles support/education group grandparents relatives raising others' children); dhss.delaware.gov/dsaapd/files/services_for_grandparents.pdf and dhss.delaware.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/dsaapd/pdf/services_for_grandparents.pdf (TANF three ways apply: yourself; yourself and child; child only; no custody or guardianship required must be related; child-only only child assets income; GA General Assistance cash unemployable adults or caring for unrelated children only child assets income; Kinship Care Program 180 days immediate needs; Joining Generations 1-800-223-9074 DSAAPDinfo@state.de.us; Grand Time Off respite; Delaware Helpline 2-1-1 1-800-464-4357 7:30am-6pm M-F; Division of Social Services 1-800-372-2022; assist.dhss.delaware.gov; Division of State Service Centers 302-255-9675; DSAAPD 1-800-223-9074); findhelp.org Kinship Care (offered at 15 State Service Centers 1-866-843-7212; caregiver relative to 5th degree; children's parents cannot live in caregiver's home; children under 18; income 200% FPL); delcode.delaware.gov (DSCYF and DHSS operate Kinship Care Program promotes placement children relatives not in state custody; fifth degree consanguinity blood or marriage; must have or actively pursue guardianship; child resides in home; income 200% FPL); legis.delaware.gov SJR1 (legislature directed DSCYF explore federal IV-E Guardianship Assistance Program); grandfamilies.org Delaware (DSS DSSC DSAAPD Kinship Care Program 180-day transition; TANF child-only; support groups grandparents children raised kinship families food distribution financial support holidays; resource center booklets monthly support groups; information referrals care management assistance accessing services educational programs weekly caregiver support group); Delaware DOC Securus phone; Delaware Community Legal Aid Society 1-302-575-0660 declasi.org; assist.dhss.delaware.gov applications TANF SNAP childcare Medicaid; 2-1-1 Delaware Helpline; McKinney-Vento school enrollment; Social Security 1-800-772-1213. NOTE for Poorwa: verify Delaware Kinship Care Program 180 days still current at dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dssc/kinshipcr.html; verify 1-866-843-7212 State Service Centers Kinship Care current; verify income 200% FPL requirement current; verify fifth degree consanguinity requirement current; verify parents not living in home requirement current; verify Joining Generations 1-800-223-9074 DSAAPDinfo@state.de.us current; verify Grand Time Off still operating DSAAPD; verify Delaware Helpline 2-1-1 1-800-464-4357 current hours; verify DSS 1-800-372-2022 current; verify Division State Service Centers 302-255-9675 current; verify assist.dhss.delaware.gov current application portal; verify Delaware DOC Securus phone provider; verify Delaware Community Legal Aid Society 1-302-575-0660 declasi.org current; verify Title IV-E GAP status for Delaware; verify Delaware General Assistance GA program still exists for unrelated caregivers; verify McKinney-Vento still applicable; len/character check before publish.]