Schema: Article + FAQPage
Internal links (5): Georgia inmate search, send money, Georgia 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 Georgia | InmateAid
Georgia has a program named specifically for you. It is called the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program -- GRG -- and it is a layer of financial assistance on top of TANF, designed specifically for grandparents who are raising grandchildren in their homes. You have to apply for TANF first, and if you are approved and meet the GRG criteria, Georgia provides additional cash payments beyond the base TANF grant.
Two payments exist under GRG: a Monthly Subsidy Payment (MSP) -- ongoing cash assistance to cover the child's basic needs -- and a CRISP (Crisis Intervention Services Payment) -- a one-time payment for qualifying emergency needs that equals up to four times the maximum TANF benefit for your family size.
Georgia also has 12 regional Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) with Kinship Care Specialists who help grandparents navigate the TANF application, the GRG program, legal questions, and community resources. You do not have to navigate any of this alone. Finding your nearest AAA at aging.ga.gov/locations is one of the most useful first steps you can take.
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 Georgia offers you -- the programs, the pathways, 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 Georgia right now:
If you are caring for grandchildren without a formal legal arrangement, you are an informal caregiver. Georgia's Kinship Navigator Program does not require custody or guardianship -- that program can help you connect to resources right now, without legal documentation. But most financial assistance programs will require at minimum proof of relationship and proof that the children live with you.
If DFCS is involved in the case, you may be in the foster kinship care system. Contact your DFCS caseworker about the GRG program and your status.
Important Georgia-specific note: DFCS is not able to assist with guardianship or custody. Your Kinship Navigator can provide contact information for your local court, but the legal process is yours to navigate separately. The Georgia Relative Caregiver Hotline (1-888-257-9519) can help you with a Power of Attorney form and legal referrals.
Georgia's programs are administered county by county. Your county DFCS office is your primary contact.
Legal Authority: What It Is and How to Get It in Georgia
**Power of Attorney**
A Power of Attorney (POA) is the fastest way to establish immediate authorization for medical care and school decisions while you work toward formal custody or guardianship.
To obtain a Georgia POA form designed for relative caregivers, contact the Georgia Relative Caregiver Hotline at **1-888-257-9519** (a project of the Georgia Senior Legal Hotline, operated by Atlanta Legal Aid Society). The hotline provides advice, brief services, and referrals. An incarcerated parent can sign a notarized POA at the GDC facility; Georgia DOC facilities have notary services -- coordinate through the facility case manager.
A POA does not give you full parental authority but it solves the immediate problems of medical care and school enrollment while you work toward a court order.
**Legal Custody / Guardianship**
For formal legal authority, you petition the family court or probate court in the county where the child lives. A parent's incarceration is documented grounds for demonstrating an inability to care for the child.
**Atlanta metro**: Atlanta Legal Aid Society's Kinship Care Project provides free legal services including guardianship for kinship caregivers in the five metropolitan Atlanta counties.
**Outside metro Atlanta**: Georgia Legal Services Program handles referrals for kinship caregivers in rural and smaller-city Georgia. Contact the Georgia Relative Caregiver Hotline at 1-888-257-9519 for a referral.
Do not wait for legal authority to contact your county DFCS office or your Area Agency on Aging Kinship Care Specialist. The Kinship Navigator Program does not require legal documentation. TANF for the children also does not require custody -- it requires proof of relationship and residency.
**Adoption**
Adoption permanently terminates the biological parent's parental rights. It is not reversible. Consider it carefully, particularly when the incarcerated parent has a realistic path to release and reunification. Georgia Legal Services' Kinship Care Project assists with adoption for income-eligible families.
Money: What Georgia Offers Kinship Caregivers
**TANF Child-Only Grant**
Children who do not live with their biological or adoptive parents are eligible to receive TANF benefits on their own. The TANF grant is based on the child's income -- not the grandparent's.
Apply at your county DFCS office or call 1-877-423-4746. You can also apply online through Georgia Gateway at gateway.ga.gov. TANF applications may take up to 45 days to process.
**GRG Monthly Subsidy Payment (MSP)**
The GRG Monthly Subsidy Payment is an ongoing supplement on top of TANF, provided specifically to grandparents raising grandchildren in Georgia. You must be receiving or approved to receive TANF first.
To qualify for the GRG MSP, you must:
- Be a grandparent (not another relative) who is the primary caregiver of a grandchild
- Meet GRG income guidelines (household income less than 160% of the federal poverty level)
- Be 55 years of age or older, OR be aged, blind, or disabled and receiving disability benefits
Important: the TANF cash that the grandchild is already receiving is NOT counted when determining GRG income eligibility. Other household income belonging to other people living in your home is also NOT counted for GRG eligibility.
The monthly subsidy provides regular recurring cash assistance to help cover the child's basic needs. Contact your county DFCS office to apply. Processing may take up to 45 days.
**CRISP (Crisis Intervention Services Payment)**
The CRISP is a one-time cash payment for qualifying emergency needs. It equals up to **four times the maximum TANF benefit amount for your family size**. That means the dollar amount depends on your household size -- it is not a fixed amount -- but it can be a significant one-time payment for a real emergency.
Qualifying emergency needs include: utility shutoffs, homelessness risk, urgent medical costs, and bedding or furniture for when the children are newly placed in your home. DFCS determines whether the emergency qualifies.
To apply for CRISP, you must be eligible for TANF as a grandparent and have a qualifying emergency need. Apply through your county DFCS office.
**Right from the Start Medicaid (Georgia Medicaid for Children)**
Most children in kinship care in Georgia are eligible for Medicaid under the Right from the Start program. It covers doctor visits, dental, prescriptions, mental health services, emergency care, and vision. Apply at your county DFCS office, call 1-800-766-4456, or apply online at gateway.ga.gov.
Get the grandchildren enrolled in Medicaid as quickly as possible. Health coverage is one of the most urgent practical needs when children arrive.
**SNAP (Food Assistance)**
Apply for SNAP through your county DFCS office or at gateway.ga.gov. The grandchildren's presence increases your household benefit level.
**Child Support from the Incarcerated Parent**
Georgia's GRG program includes a referral pathway to the Division of Child Support Services (DCSS). Once you are receiving GRG, DFCS can connect you to DCSS to help secure financial contributions from the child's parents. A child support order from an incarcerated parent may produce modest payments during incarceration but the order remains in effect after release.
**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.
Area Agencies on Aging: Your Best First Contact
Georgia has 12 regional Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs). Each AAA has Kinship Care Specialists whose job is to help grandparents and relative caregivers navigate the system -- TANF, GRG, legal questions, community resources.
This is the most useful first-contact resource in Georgia's kinship system. A Kinship Care Specialist from the AAA can:
- Help you understand which programs you qualify for
- Walk you through the TANF and GRG application process
- Connect you to legal aid for custody or guardianship
- Refer you to local services including food, housing, mental health, and caregiver support
Find your nearest Area Agency on Aging at **aging.ga.gov/locations**.
The AAAs serve grandparents and relative caregivers of any age -- not just seniors.
The Kinship Care Portal and Kinship Navigator
Georgia's Department of Human Services operates a Kinship Care Portal at **dhs.georgia.gov/organization/about/kinship**. It is the statewide hub for information on all kinship care programs.
Georgia also has a **DFCS Kinship Navigator Program** operating through county DFCS offices. You do not need custody or guardianship to receive Kinship Navigator services. The Navigator helps connect caregivers to TANF child-only, Medicaid, SNAP, and other public benefits.
If you do not know where to start, the Kinship Care Portal and your county DFCS office's Kinship Navigator are the two first-contact points.
The School Question
With legal authority (custody, guardianship, or a court order), 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.
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. GDC (Georgia Department of Corrections) facilities have notary services -- coordinate through the facility case manager to get a notarized 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: contact the Georgia Relative Caregiver Hotline at **1-888-257-9519** to get a Power of Attorney form and have an incarcerated parent sign it through GDC's notary services. This handles routine medical authorization while you work toward formal custody or guardianship.
Enroll the grandchildren in Right from the Start Medicaid through your county DFCS office or at gateway.ga.gov. Medicaid enrollment does not require legal authority -- it requires proof of identity and Georgia 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 lunches, school pickups, doctor appointments, someone to be home when they need someone to be home.
You are also carrying complicated feelings about your child who is incarcerated. Those feelings do not have to resolve. You can love your child and be furious. You can hope they get out and be afraid of what that day looks like.
Georgia's communities range from Atlanta's urban scale to the deeply rural communities of South Georgia where the news travels fast and the resources can be thin. In the rural counties where distances to services are real, the Area Agency on Aging Kinship Care Specialists become even more important -- they know what exists locally and can reduce how much you have to figure out alone.
You are allowed to need help. Getting it is not a weakness. It is how you keep doing this.
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 their feelings without rushing to fix them. Keep the parent present in appropriate ways: photos, letters, phone calls.
GDC phone calls go through Securus Technologies. You control which numbers are approved. The grandchildren's relationship with their incarcerated parent is theirs -- not yours to manage based on your feelings about what your child did.
Georgia Medicaid (Right from the Start) 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 at once.
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. Your Area Agency on Aging Kinship Care Specialist can connect you to support groups and caregiver services. You are not the first grandparent in Georgia to be in this situation. Finding the others is worth the effort.
What to Do First: A Practical Checklist
Find your Area Agency on Aging. aging.ga.gov/locations. Call and ask for the Kinship Care Specialist. This is the most useful first call in Georgia.
Contact the Kinship Care Portal. dhs.georgia.gov/organization/about/kinship. Your county DFCS office's Kinship Navigator does not require custody -- they can start connecting you to resources today.
Get a Power of Attorney form. Call the Georgia Relative Caregiver Hotline at 1-888-257-9519. Have the incarcerated parent sign it through GDC notary services (contact the facility case manager).
Apply for TANF child-only at your county DFCS office, by calling 1-877-423-4746, or at gateway.ga.gov. This is the foundation for the GRG program. Processing takes up to 45 days -- apply as soon as possible.
Ask about the GRG Monthly Subsidy Payment and CRISP when you apply for TANF. If you are 55 or older and meet the income criteria, ask the DFCS worker specifically about GRG eligibility.
Apply for Right from the Start Medicaid and SNAP at the same time. gateway.ga.gov or your county DFCS office.
Start the legal custody or guardianship process. Contact Atlanta Legal Aid Kinship Care Project (metro Atlanta) or the Georgia Relative Caregiver Hotline (1-888-257-9519, outside Atlanta) for free legal help.
Enroll the grandchildren in school. Use McKinney-Vento if needed.
Take care of yourself. Your AAA Kinship Care Specialist can connect you with caregiver support services.
FAQ
**What is the Georgia GRG program?** GRG stands for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. It is a Georgia TANF supplement specifically for grandparents. It includes a Monthly Subsidy Payment (MSP -- ongoing cash assistance) and CRISP (a one-time crisis payment up to four times the maximum TANF benefit for your family size). You must first be approved for TANF, must be 55 or older (or aged/blind/disabled), and must meet GRG income guidelines (household income below 160% of the federal poverty level). Apply through your county DFCS office.
**What is CRISP?** CRISP is a one-time cash payment for qualifying emergency needs such as utility shutoffs, risk of homelessness, urgent medical costs, or needed bedding and furniture for a newly placed child. It equals up to four times the maximum TANF benefit for your family size. DFCS determines whether the emergency qualifies. You must be eligible for TANF as a grandparent to apply.
**Can I get the Kinship Navigator's help without legal custody?** Yes. Georgia's DFCS Kinship Navigator Program does not require custody or guardianship. Contact your county DFCS office or dhs.georgia.gov/organization/about/kinship to connect with a Kinship Navigator.
**How do I get a Power of Attorney form for Georgia?** Contact the Georgia Relative Caregiver Hotline at 1-888-257-9519, a project of the Georgia Senior Legal Hotline operated by Atlanta Legal Aid Society. They provide advice, referrals, and Georgia POA forms for relative caregivers. The incarcerated parent can sign the POA through notary services at the GDC facility.
**What is the Area Agency on Aging and how do I find mine?** Georgia has 12 regional Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), each with Kinship Care Specialists who help grandparents and relative caregivers of any age navigate programs, legal issues, and community resources. Find your nearest AAA at aging.ga.gov/locations. This is the most useful first contact in Georgia.
**Can I enroll my grandchildren in school without legal authority?** 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 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 appropriately -- photos, letters, GDC phone calls through Securus. Right from the Start Medicaid covers children's mental health services; ask the school counselor or primary care provider for a referral if needed.
[SPEC NOTE: Folder 1mWUamVufeanK-LZbmcw4rbPb7yRIWRSP. Internal CTAs: Georgia inmate search, send money, Georgia reentry resources, Staying Connected hub, how prison works hub. SOURCING: dhs.georgia.gov/kinship-care-portal/kinship-care-portal-faqs (GRG Monthly Subsidy Payment ongoing supplement TANF 55+ or aged blind disabled; GRG income guidelines; CRISP one-time payment up to 4x maximum TANF benefit AU size; must have qualifying emergency DFCS determines; Medicaid most children eligible age income citizenship; TANF income-based child's income identity residency degree of relation citizenship; TANF application up to 45 days; DFCS not able to assist guardianship custody Kinship Navigator provides court contact; no custody or guardianship required for Kinship Navigator services); dhs.georgia.gov/organization/about/kinship (Kinship care informal legal custody guardianship foster relative adoption; Division of Aging Services 12 regional AAAs Kinship Care Specialists; aging.ga.gov/locations; programs TANF child support relative care subsidy Right from the Start Medicaid; Relative Caregiver Hotline Georgia Senior Legal Hotline Atlanta Legal Aid Society advice brief services referrals); pamms.dhs.ga.gov/dfcs/tanf/1210/ (GRG MSP CRISP purpose enable care grandchild in grandparent's home; DFCS provides enhanced financial assistance grandparent receiving or approved TANF; TANF cash excluded from budget determining GRG eligibility; client statement income accepted; other persons in home income NOT counted for GRG; bedding furniture supplies children placed; mediation GAL court attorney fees; transitional counseling; DFCS will not monitor how eligible AU spends MSP; standard promptness 45 days from application; CRISP emergency one-time only); georgialegalaid.org TANF (GRG ongoing supplement TANF grandparent caregiver grandchild less than 160% FPL 55+ or aged blind disabled; CRISP up to 4x maximum TANF benefit that family size; must have qualifying emergency DFCS determines; TANF income-based child's income 45 days; severe penalties Georgia TANF work activity unless good cause); georgialegalaid.org kinship care (POA form contact Georgia Relative Caregiver Hotline 1-888-257-9519 Georgia Senior Legal Hotline; children not living biological/adoptive parents TANF on their own; apply county DFCS or 1-800-766-4456 Medicaid); georgia.gov/apply-cash-assistance (TANF monthly cash assistance work requirements children under 18 or 18 full-time school; GRG additional cash payments grandchildren in grandparents' homes applicants must apply TANF first; 1-877-423-4746; interpreters free 711 Georgia Relay); dhs.georgia.gov/division-aging-services ($50 subsidy per grandchild example; AAA Information and Referral Specialist; CRISP used for sofa bed mattress example); chattooga1180.com (MSP regular recurring cash assistance cover child's basic needs; CRISP emergency utility shutoffs homelessness urgent medical; DCSS referral from GRG to help secure financial contributions from child's parents; kinship care rising rural areas); gksnetwork.org Atlanta Legal Aid (DFCS Kinship Navigator Program assists TANF child-only other public benefits; Georgia Division Aging Services Kinship Care Work Group; Atlanta Legal Aid Kinship Care Project metro Atlanta; Georgia Legal Services Program rural areas referrals); gateway.ga.gov Georgia Gateway online benefits; Right from the Start Medicaid 1-800-766-4456; GDC Securus phone system; GDC notary services; McKinney-Vento school enrollment; Social Security 1-800-772-1213. NOTE for Poorwa: verify GRG MSP 55+ age requirement and 160% FPL income threshold still current per pamms.dhs.ga.gov/dfcs/tanf/1210/ or dhs.georgia.gov; verify CRISP still 4x maximum TANF benefit one-time current; verify Right from the Start Medicaid still Georgia Medicaid name for children; verify Georgia Relative Caregiver Hotline 1-888-257-9519 current; verify DFCS TANF 1-877-423-4746 current; verify 1-800-766-4456 Medicaid application current; verify gateway.ga.gov current portal; verify aging.ga.gov/locations AAA finder current; verify dhs.georgia.gov/organization/about/kinship Kinship Care Portal current; verify Atlanta Legal Aid Kinship Care Project still serving 5 metro Atlanta counties; verify Georgia Legal Services Program still rural referrals; verify GDC Securus phone provider; verify McKinney-Vento still applicable; len/character check before publish.]