Schema: Article + FAQPage
Internal links (5): Hawaii inmate search, send money, Hawaii 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.
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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Hawaii | InmateAid
In Hawaii, ohana is not a slogan. It is the operating framework of the child welfare system. Ohana -- family -- is the reason the state prioritizes placing children with relatives when a parent cannot care for them. It is the reason organizations like EPIC Ohana exist to bridge between the state's child welfare system and Native Hawaiian communities. And it is the reason that when a grandparent in Hawaii steps in to raise a grandchild whose parent is incarcerated, there is a system that is at least designed around the idea that family holding a child is the right answer.
Hawaii also has something no other state in this series has: a parallel TANF program specifically for families with non-citizen members. The federal TANF program requires all family members to be U.S. citizens. Hawaii created TAONF -- Temporary Assistance for Other Needy Families -- with its own state funds, under Hawaii's State Constitution, to extend the same benefits to families that include non-citizens. TANF and TAONF have identical payment and eligibility requirements. The only difference is the funding source.
This matters in Hawaii more than in almost any other state because of the state's genuinely diverse population. Hawaiian families include Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, and many other communities. If your family includes someone who is not a U.S. citizen, you may still qualify for TAONF.
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 someone. You said yes.
This article covers what Hawaii offers you -- the programs, the pathways, and the specific realities of raising grandchildren in an island state.
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 Hawaii right now:
If you are caring for grandchildren without a formal legal arrangement, you are an informal caregiver. Hawaii's system has room for you -- but most financial assistance programs require at minimum proof of relationship and proof that the children live with you, and legal authority unlocks the full range of support.
If DHS Child Welfare Services (CWS) placed the children with you, you are in the Hawaii kinship foster care system. You are what Hawaii calls a "Resource Caregiver." Your CWS caseworker is your primary contact.
Hawaii's benefit programs are administered statewide with uniform policies across all islands. BESSD (Benefit, Employment and Support Services Division) offices are located on Oahu, Maui, Hawaii Island, and Kauai. If you are on Molokai or Lanai, your contact is the Maui County office.
The Aloha United Way 2-1-1 line (auw211.org or dial 2-1-1) is the best first call when you do not know where to start.
The Ohana Framework and Native Hawaiian Families
If the grandchildren are Native Hawaiian, the system has -- imperfectly but genuinely -- built structures around the idea that ohana holds children.
EPIC Ohana (epic-hawaii.org) is a community organization that works between the DHS system and Native Hawaiian communities. Since 2018, EPIC Ohana has hosted the Na Kama a Haloa network -- a collaboration of community organizations, DHS representatives, young people, and parents with foster care experience -- specifically to integrate Hawaiian cultural values into child welfare policy and practice. Those values include:
- Aloha (affection)
- Kuleana (responsibility)
- Malama (care)
- Pilina (connection)
These are not decorative. They have been built into BESSD and CWS staff training. For Native Hawaiian grandparents navigating a system that was not designed with their communities in mind, EPIC Ohana is a more culturally grounded first contact than many alternatives.
For non-Native families: the ohana framework is still the relevant context. Hawaii's child welfare system is explicitly organized around family connection. The preference for kinship placement is cultural and policy both.
Legal Authority: What It Is and How to Get It in Hawaii
**Guardianship**
Guardianship in Hawaii is established through the family court. With guardianship, you have legal authority to enroll children in school, authorize medical care, apply for benefits, and make day-to-day decisions.
Legal Aid Society of Hawaii provides free legal services to income-eligible residents, including guardianship cases for kinship caregivers. Contact Legal Aid Society of Hawaii at 1-808-536-4302 or legalaidhawaii.org.
**Power of Attorney**
A notarized Power of Attorney from the incarcerated parent gives you immediate authority for school enrollment and medical care while you work toward guardianship through the courts. Hawaii Department of Public Safety (HI DPS) facilities have notary services -- contact the facility case manager.
A POA does not replace guardianship but it solves the immediate problem.
**Resource Caregiver (Kinship Foster Care)**
If DHS CWS placed the children with you, you become a Resource Caregiver. This is Hawaii's term for foster caregiver, including kinship. Licensed Resource Caregivers receive foster care maintenance payments and full support from CWS. The Resource Caregiver portal is at rcg.hawaii.gov.
As a Resource Caregiver for children placed by CWS, you may also be able to transition to a permanent legal relationship through adoption or subsidized guardianship. Ask your CWS caseworker.
**Adoption**
Adoption permanently terminates the biological parent's parental rights. Med-QUEST health coverage (Hawaii Medicaid) remains available for most children adopted from foster care, often through age 21 for those with certain health needs. Discuss adoption with a family law attorney or Legal Aid Society before proceeding.
Money: What Hawaii Offers Kinship Caregivers
**TANF and TAONF**
Hawaii calls the program TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) for families where all members are U.S. citizens, and TAONF (Temporary Assistance for Other Needy Families) for families where at least one member is a non-citizen. The two programs are otherwise identical -- same payment rates, same eligibility rules, same application process.
For grandparent caregivers, TANF and TAONF include the option to apply on behalf of the grandchild only (child-only), where the grandparent's income is not counted. The grandchild's own income and resources determine eligibility.
Apply at pais-benefits.dhs.hawaii.gov or call 1-855-643-1643 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week). The BESSD office on your island also accepts in-person applications.
Hawaii's TANF program materials are available in: Hawaiian, Ilokano, Japanese, Korean, Marshallese, Samoan, Tagalog, Tongan, Vietnamese, Chinese (Cantonese), Cebuan, Chuukese, Spanish, and Thai. If you are more comfortable in one of these languages, call 1-888-764-7586 to request a free interpreter.
**Med-QUEST (Hawaii Medicaid)**
Med-QUEST is Hawaii's Medicaid managed care program. Children in kinship care are generally eligible. Med-QUEST covers doctor visits, dental, prescriptions, mental health services, emergency care, and vision.
Apply through DHS. Contact the Med-QUEST Division at 1-800-316-8005 or med-quest.hawaii.gov, or apply as part of your TANF/TAONF application.
Get the grandchildren enrolled in Med-QUEST as quickly as possible. Health coverage is one of the most urgent practical needs when children arrive.
**SNAP (Food Assistance)**
Apply for SNAP through BESSD at pais-benefits.dhs.hawaii.gov or 1-855-643-1643. Hawaii's cost of living is high and food assistance is among the most immediately impactful benefits available.
**Child Care Subsidy Program (CCSP)**
Hawaii offers a Child Care Subsidy Program (CCSP) through BESSD that helps grandparent caregivers with child care costs while working or participating in training. Ask about this when you apply for TANF/TAONF. It is available as part of the same BESSD application.
**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.
The Neighbor Island Reality
Hawaii is not like other states in this series. There are no roads between islands. Visiting an incarcerated parent on a different island -- or on the U.S. mainland, where some Hawaii inmates are housed under contract -- requires a flight.
Hawaii DPS operates correctional facilities on Oahu (Halawa Correctional Facility, Women's Community Correctional Center in Kailua, Oahu Community Correctional Center), Maui (Maui Community Correctional Center in Wailuku), Hawaii Island (Hawaii Community Correctional Center in Hilo), and Kauai (Kauai Community Correctional Center in Lihue).
If the incarcerated parent is on a different island from the grandchildren, video visits become not a supplement but the primary connection. Hawaii DPS uses ICSolutions / GTL for phone calls and video visits. Set up the account early and prioritize the video connection.
If the parent is housed on the mainland under a contract, the physical distance is measured in airplane hours, not driving hours. For grandchildren on neighbor islands, contact with their incarcerated parent may be almost entirely limited to calls and video.
This is one of the hardest things about Hawaii's incarceration reality. It is worth naming honestly so that the grandparent can plan accordingly rather than being surprised by the access barrier.
The School Question
With guardianship documents or a signed POA, 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's administration about the district's McKinney-Vento liaison.
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. HI DPS 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 in non-emergency situations. Emergency care cannot be denied.
The fastest fix: a notarized parental Power of Attorney from the incarcerated parent. HI DPS facilities have notary services -- contact the facility case manager to arrange. This handles routine medical authorization while you pursue guardianship.
Apply for Med-QUEST at med-quest.hawaii.gov or through BESSD at 1-855-643-1643. Med-QUEST enrollment does not require legal authority -- it requires proof of the child's identity and Hawaii 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 lunches, doctor appointments, pickup from school, someone to be there when they wake up afraid.
You are also carrying your 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 for your family.
Hawaii's communities are tight. In the smaller towns on the neighbor islands especially, news travels. Some people in your community will support you. Some will disappear. 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.
EPIC Ohana (epic-hawaii.org), The Parent Line (theparentline.org), and Aloha United Way 2-1-1 can connect you to caregiver support resources. You are not the first person in Hawaii to be doing this. Finding the others is worth the effort.
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. Keep the parent present in appropriate ways: photos, letters, phone calls.
HI DPS phone calls go through ICSolutions / GTL. You control which numbers are approved. For grandchildren on a neighbor island visiting a parent who is incarcerated elsewhere, video visits through ICSolutions are the most accessible regular connection.
Med-QUEST covers mental health services for children. If the grandchildren are struggling, ask the school counselor for a referral or the child's Med-QUEST 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. EPIC Ohana, community organizations, a trusted person in your community -- any of these is better than holding it alone. The Parent Line (theparentline.org) is confidential and free.
What to Do First: A Practical Checklist
Call Aloha United Way 2-1-1. auw211.org or dial 2-1-1. Let them connect you to the specific resources available on your island.
If you are a Native Hawaiian family or the grandchildren are Native Hawaiian: contact EPIC Ohana (epic-hawaii.org). They can provide culturally grounded navigation through DHS and CWS processes.
Get a notarized Power of Attorney from the incarcerated parent through HI DPS notary services. Contact the facility case manager to arrange.
Apply for TANF or TAONF. pais-benefits.dhs.hawaii.gov or 1-855-643-1643. If your family includes non-citizens, ask specifically about TAONF -- same benefits, state-funded. Request your language if English is not your primary language; free interpreters available.
Apply for Med-QUEST (Hawaii Medicaid) and SNAP at the same time through BESSD.
Ask about the Child Care Subsidy Program (CCSP) if you need help with childcare costs.
Start the guardianship process. Contact Legal Aid Society of Hawaii (1-808-536-4302; legalaidhawaii.org) for free legal assistance with guardianship.
Enroll the grandchildren in school. Use McKinney-Vento if needed.
Set up ICSolutions / GTL account for phone and video visits with the incarcerated parent. If the parent is on a different island or on the mainland, video visits are the primary connection. Set it up before the grandchildren ask why they cannot reach their parent.
Take care of yourself. The Parent Line (theparentline.org) is free, confidential, and available statewide.
FAQ
**What is TAONF and how is it different from TANF?** TAONF is Temporary Assistance for Other Needy Families -- Hawaii's state-funded parallel to the federal TANF program, created under Hawaii's State Constitution because TANF requires all family members to be U.S. citizens. TAONF has identical payment and eligibility requirements. If your family includes at least one non-citizen, you may qualify for TAONF where you would not qualify for TANF. Apply the same way: pais-benefits.dhs.hawaii.gov or 1-855-643-1643.
**Can I apply for TANF without legal custody of the grandchildren?** Ask BESSD specifically about child-only options where the grandchild's income (not yours) determines eligibility. You must be a specified relative and the child must live with you. You do not need legal custody to apply, but you need to demonstrate relationship and residency. Apply at pais-benefits.dhs.hawaii.gov or call 1-855-643-1643.
**What is Med-QUEST?** Med-QUEST is Hawaii's Medicaid managed care program. It covers children's doctor visits, dental, prescriptions, mental health services, emergency care, and vision. Apply through BESSD or at med-quest.hawaii.gov. Children adopted from foster care in Hawaii often retain Med-QUEST coverage through age 21. Get the grandchildren enrolled immediately.
**What is EPIC Ohana and who does it serve?** EPIC Ohana (epic-hawaii.org) is a community organization working at the intersection of Hawaii's child welfare system and Native Hawaiian communities. It hosts the Na Kama a Haloa network, which works to integrate Hawaiian cultural values (aloha, kuleana, malama, pilina) into DHS practice and training. If the grandchildren are Native Hawaiian, EPIC Ohana is a culturally grounded first contact for navigating the system.
**What if the incarcerated parent is on a different island or on the mainland?** Visiting requires a flight. For grandchildren on neighbor islands with a parent incarcerated on Oahu or the mainland, video visits through ICSolutions / GTL become the primary connection -- not a supplement. Set up the ICSolutions account as early as possible and prioritize scheduled video visits so the grandchildren maintain regular contact with their parent.
**Can I enroll the 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's administration for the district's McKinney-Vento liaison.
**What language help is available for BESSD applications?** Hawaii's BESSD materials are available in 14 languages including Hawaiian, Ilokano, Japanese, Korean, Marshallese, Samoan, Tagalog, Tongan, Vietnamese, Chinese, Cebuan, Chuukese, Spanish, and Thai. Call 1-888-764-7586 to request a free interpreter in your language before your BESSD appointment or application.
[SPEC NOTE: Folder 1mWUamVufeanK-LZbmcw4rbPb7yRIWRSP. Internal CTAs: Hawaii inmate search, send money, Hawaii reentry resources, Staying Connected hub, how prison works hub. SOURCING: humanservices.hawaii.gov/bessd/tanf/ (TANF federally funded temporary cash assistance eligible families at least one specified relative adult minor dependent child same home US citizens; TAONF state-funded parallel same requirements created in response to federal Welfare Reform Hawaii State Constitution Article IX Section 3; TAONF identical payment program eligibility requirements TANF); humanservices.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Hawaii_TANF_State_Plan_Signed_Certified-Eff_20231001.pdf (TANF uniform policies all islands; BESSD offices Oahu 6 offices Maui County Maui Molokai Lanai Hawaii Island 2 offices Kauai 1 office; TAONF parallel same payment and program eligibility); humanservices.hawaii.gov/bessd/ (PAIS 1-855-643-1643 24/7 SNAP financial assistance; pais.dhs.hawaii.gov or pais-benefits.dhs.hawaii.gov; TANF TAONF GA AABD repatriates childcare E&T FTW SNAP; 14 languages Cebuan Chuukese Hawaiian Ilokano Japanese Korean Marshallese Samoan Chinese Spanish Tagalog Thai Tongan Vietnamese; interpreter 1-888-764-7586); humanservices.hawaii.gov/ (BESSD SNAP financial child care general assistance; Med-QUEST low-income health coverage managed care; SSD CWS adult protective; DHS overview); humanservices.hawaii.gov/ssd/home/child-welfare-services/ (EPIC Ohana resources; Parent Line free statewide confidential theparentline.org; Aloha United Way 2-1-1 auw211.org; DHS Resource Caregiver rcg.hawaii.gov; CWS permanent placement); thegardenisland.com June 2025 (EPIC Ohana Na Kama a Haloa since 2018; DHS representatives young people parents foster care experience; Native Hawaiian culture values aloha kuleana malama pilina embedded policies operations training; new DHS employee training baseline Native Hawaiian perspective; Annie E Casey Foundation support; Partners in Development Foundation Kupa Aina); smithandsturdivant.com (ohana tradition family connections Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander child placements cultural continuity; DHS monthly adoption assistance; Med-QUEST health coverage most adopted children through age 21 for those with health needs); ittakesanohana.org (Hawaii foster care resource; 2025 Annual Child Welfare Law Update Conference; Legal Aid Society Hawaii); grandfamilies.org healthyties fullreport (Hawaii DHS tell grandparents applying health coverage to also apply TANF; Ann G Tam Sing Eligibility Branch Administrator Hawaii DHS; program linkages for kinship care families); icpcstatepages.org Hawaii (relative includes birth adoptive siblings stepparent stepbrother stepsister uncle aunt first cousin niece nephew half blood marriage prefixes grand great including grandparent great grandparent; licensed relative approved foster parent); humanservices.hawaii.gov/bessd/snap/ebt/ (HI/EBT system; payments TANF TAONF GA AABD repatriates childcare E&T FTW SNAP); HI DPS ICSolutions GTL phone video; HI DPS facilities Halawa Correctional Oahu; Women's CC Kailua Oahu; Oahu CC; Maui CC Wailuku; Hawaii CC Hilo; Kauai CC Lihue; Legal Aid Society Hawaii 1-808-536-4302 legalaidhawaii.org; McKinney-Vento school enrollment; med-quest.hawaii.gov; Social Security 1-800-772-1213. NOTE for Poorwa: verify TAONF still operating same as TANF at humanservices.hawaii.gov/bessd/tanf/; verify PAIS 1-855-643-1643 current 24/7; verify pais-benefits.dhs.hawaii.gov current application portal; verify 14 languages and interpreter 1-888-764-7586 current; verify Med-QUEST still Hawaii Medicaid name med-quest.hawaii.gov current; verify EPIC Ohana epic-hawaii.org current; verify rcg.hawaii.gov Resource Caregiver portal current; verify Aloha United Way 2-1-1 auw211.org current; verify The Parent Line theparentline.org current; verify Legal Aid Society Hawaii 1-808-536-4302 legalaidhawaii.org current; verify HI DPS ICSolutions GTL phone video provider; verify HI DPS facilities list current; verify McKinney-Vento still applicable; verify Med-QUEST coverage adopted children through age 21 current; len/character check before publish.]