Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Indiana

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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 Indiana | InmateAid

Indiana estimates that about 59,000 children -- 4% of all Hoosier children -- live in kinship care. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings, close family friends who stepped in because a parent could not. Of those 59,000, only about 5,000 receive any state financial support.

That gap is not a typo. Fifty-four thousand children in informal kinship arrangements in Indiana, and no automatic state payment to the people caring for them.

The opioid crisis is a significant driver of why so many Indiana children are in this situation. Indiana has been hard hit by opioid and fentanyl mortality in the Midwest, and addiction -- along with incarceration related to it -- is one of the primary reasons grandparents in this state are back in the business of raising children they did not plan to raise.

The support that exists in Indiana is real but limited, fragmented, and requires you to find it. This article explains what is available, what it is called, and what to do first.

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.

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 Indiana right now:

If you are caring for grandchildren without DCS (Department of Child Services) involvement, you are among the vast majority of Indiana kinship caregivers -- and you are largely outside the automatic support systems. The programs exist. You have to find them.

If DCS placed the grandchildren with you, you may be in the Relative Caregiver Program or working toward becoming a licensed kinship foster parent. Your DCS family case manager is your primary contact.

Indiana's TANF, SNAP, and Medicaid are administered by FSSA (Family and Social Services Administration) through the Division of Family Resources (DFR). Apply at the FSSA Benefits Portal (fssabenefits.in.gov) or call 1-800-403-0864, or visit your local DFR office.

The Financial Reality in Indiana

This needs to be said plainly: Indiana's financial support system for kinship caregivers outside the formal DCS foster care system is limited. Indiana advocates have named this publicly. A 2022 Indiana Capital Chronicle article found that only about 5,000 of Indiana's 59,000 kinship children receive any state financial support. An Indiana Lawyer op-ed called the gap "limited and confusing."

Licensed foster parents in Indiana receive a daily per diem from DCS starting at $18.88 per day, covering food, clothing, housing, and travel. But most grandparents caring for grandchildren whose parents are incarcerated are not licensed foster parents. They are informal kinship caregivers. They do not automatically receive the per diem.

Understanding this is not meant to discourage. It is meant to tell you the truth so you know what to pursue and what is actually available. The programs that exist are named below. They are modest but real.

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

**Guardianship (Probate Court)**

Guardianship is the most common legal option for grandparents not in the DCS system. You file in your county's probate court. The parents must be notified and have the right to object.

With guardianship, you have legal authority to enroll children in school, authorize medical care, apply for benefits, and make day-to-day decisions. A parent's incarceration is documented grounds for demonstrating inability to care for the child.

Guardianship can be temporary or permanent.

Indiana Legal Services provides free civil legal help to income-eligible Hoosiers, including guardianship for kinship caregivers. Contact: 1-844-243-8570 or indianalegalservices.org.

**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 pursue guardianship. Indiana DOC (IDOC) facilities have notary services -- contact the facility case manager to arrange.

**Third-Party Custody**

Indiana law allows third-party custody when parents are unable or unwilling to care for the child and the child's best interests are served by granting the grandparent custody. The court considers factors including the child's relationship with the grandparent and the child's wishes. Third-party custody is an alternative to guardianship in some situations.

**Kinship Care Through DCS**

If DCS is involved because the child was abused, neglected, or removed, you can ask DCS to place the child in your home as a kinship caregiver. DCS maintains legal custody of the child. Kinship care may be temporary with reunification as the goal. Your DCS family case manager coordinates services and support.

If DCS places the child with you and you become licensed as a kinship foster parent, you access the DCS foster care payment system including the per diem starting at $18.88 per day.

**Adoption**

Adoption permanently terminates the biological parent's parental rights. It is not reversible. Consider carefully when the incarcerated parent has a realistic path to release and reunification.

Money: What Indiana Offers Kinship Caregivers

**TANF Child-Only Grant**

TANF is Indiana's federal cash assistance program. For child-only grants, the income test is based on the child's income -- the grandparent's income and assets are not counted. Applying for TANF may take up to 45 days.

Apply at the FSSA Benefits Portal: fssabenefits.in.gov, call 1-800-403-0864, or go to your local DFR office.

Children receiving TANF child-only are generally also eligible for Hoosier Healthwise (Indiana Medicaid for children).

**Hoosier Healthwise (Indiana Medicaid for Children)**

Hoosier Healthwise is Indiana's Medicaid managed care program for children. Children in kinship care are generally eligible based on the child's income. U.S. citizenship or lawful immigration status is required.

Hoosier Healthwise covers doctor visits, dental care, prescriptions, mental health services, emergency care, and vision.

Apply at fssabenefits.in.gov or call 1-800-403-0864. Get the grandchildren enrolled in Hoosier Healthwise as quickly as possible.

**HCBS Medicaid Waiver (Home and Community-Based Services)**

For grandchildren with disabilities, an HCBS Medicaid Waiver may provide respite care and other services in addition to standard Medicaid. Information is available at in.gov/medicaid/members/home-and-community-based-services/ and through the INF2F Fact Sheets at inf2f.org/fact-sheets.html.

**SNAP (Food Assistance)**

Apply for SNAP through the FSSA Benefits Portal or your local DFR office. The grandchildren's presence increases your household benefit level.

**WIC**

WIC provides special food benefits for women and children. Available through your local health department for eligible pregnant women and children up to age 5.

**Kinship Indiana Support Services (KISS)**

If DCS placed the children with you as an unlicensed relative caregiver, Kinship Indiana Support Services (through DCS) may provide some stipends and supportive services. Ask your DCS family case manager specifically about KISS.

**DCS Foster Care Per Diem (Licensed Kinship Families)**

If you become a licensed kinship foster parent through DCS, you receive a daily payment starting at $18.88 per day for food, clothing, housing, and travel. Licensed families also receive additional funding for special occasions, extracurricular activities, and birthday gifts.

If you are in the licensed foster care system and find that the per diem does not meet the child's physical and medical needs, you can petition the court for an increase in the reimbursement rate. Many grandparents do not know this is an option.

**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 Opioid Context

Indiana has been one of the harder-hit states in the Midwest opioid epidemic. The relationship between opioid addiction, incarceration, and grandparents stepping in to raise grandchildren is direct.

If your child's incarceration is connected to addiction -- and in Indiana, there is a significant chance it is -- the sentence may be the first real structure in their life since before the substance took hold. Whether the treatment available during incarceration changes anything is information you will get over the course of the sentence. Not from what your child says. From what they do.

What the grandchildren need: honesty about where their parent is, stability in the home you are providing, and permission to love their parent without having to defend them to you.

What you need: somewhere to put the grief and anger that does not end up in front of the grandchildren. Indiana Legal Services, community organizations, faith communities, and local advocacy groups like Raising Our Children's Kids in Floyd County have experience with this specific situation. Find them.

Key Indiana Resources

**FSSA Benefits Portal**

fssabenefits.in.gov | 1-800-403-0864

Apply for TANF, Hoosier Healthwise (Medicaid), SNAP, and childcare subsidy. Available online or at your local DFR office.

**Indiana DCS Kinship Indiana Support Services**

in.gov/dcs/foster-care/kinship-indiana-support-services/

Information for relatives caring for DCS-placed children. Financial resources page. FAQ for kinship caregivers.

**Indiana Legal Services**

1-844-243-8570 | indianalegalservices.org

Free civil legal help for income-eligible Hoosiers including guardianship and custody.

**INF2F (Indiana's Families to Families)**

inf2f.org

Fact sheets on financial support options for grandparents raising grandchildren in Indiana. HCBS Waiver information. A useful reference before calling FSSA.

**Indiana Medicaid / HCBS Waivers**

in.gov/medicaid/members/home-and-community-based-services/

For children with disabilities who may qualify for waiver services including respite.

The School Question

With a POA, guardianship, or custody 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 enrollment is refused.

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. IDOC 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.

Get a notarized parental Power of Attorney from the incarcerated parent through IDOC notary services. Contact the facility case manager. This handles routine medical authorization while you pursue guardianship.

Enroll the grandchildren in Hoosier Healthwise at fssabenefits.in.gov or 1-800-403-0864. Medicaid enrollment does not require legal authority -- it requires proof of the child's identity and Indiana 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 lunches, doctor appointments, someone to be there, someone to sit with a child who is afraid.

You are also carrying your feelings about your child who is incarcerated. In Indiana, where the opioid epidemic has left so many families in exactly this situation, those feelings often include grief for the person your child was before addiction took hold, alongside anger about what the addiction did to your family. Both are real. Neither has to resolve on any particular schedule.

What the grandchildren need: stability. Your house is it.

What you need: community. Find others who are doing what you are doing. Local advocacy groups, support groups through community organizations, faith communities that show up for families in crisis. They exist in Indiana. Dial 2-1-1 to find what is available in your specific county.

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.

IDOC phone calls go through Telmate / GTL (Global Tel*Link). You control which numbers are approved. The grandchildren's relationship with their incarcerated parent is theirs.

Hoosier Healthwise (Medicaid) covers mental health services for children. If the grandchildren are struggling, ask the school counselor or the child's primary care provider for a referral.

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: somewhere to hold the complicated feelings. A support group, a therapist, a trusted person who understands what the opioid crisis does to families -- any of these is better than carrying it alone. Dial 2-1-1 for local referrals.

What to Do First: A Practical Checklist

Get a notarized Power of Attorney from the incarcerated parent through IDOC notary services. Contact the facility case manager. This is the fastest path to immediate medical and school authorization.

Apply for TANF child-only at fssabenefits.in.gov or call 1-800-403-0864 or visit your local DFR office. The grandparent's income is not counted. Processing takes up to 45 days -- apply immediately.

Apply for Hoosier Healthwise (Medicaid) and SNAP at the same time.

If a grandchild has a disability, ask about the HCBS Medicaid Waiver at in.gov/medicaid/members/home-and-community-based-services/. Respite care may be available.

Start the guardianship process. Contact Indiana Legal Services at 1-844-243-8570 or indianalegalservices.org. A guardianship petition in probate court is the most common legal pathway.

If DCS placed the children: ask your DCS family case manager specifically about Kinship Indiana Support Services (KISS) and whether you qualify for the licensed kinship foster care per diem.

If you are in licensed foster care and the per diem is insufficient: you can petition the court for an increase.

Enroll the grandchildren in school. Use McKinney-Vento if needed.

Dial 2-1-1 to find community resources, support groups, and services specific to your county.

Take care of yourself. Indiana's system is limited. Other grandparents in Indiana are doing what you are doing. Finding them is worth the effort.

FAQ

**How many Indiana children are in kinship care and how many get state support?** About 59,000 Indiana children (4% of all Hoosier children) live in kinship care. Only about 5,000 receive any state financial support. The gap between need and support is one of the largest in the country relative to population.

**What is TANF child-only and how do I apply?** TANF child-only is federal cash assistance where the grandparent's income is not counted -- only the child's income. Apply at fssabenefits.in.gov, call 1-800-403-0864, or visit your local DFR office. Processing takes up to 45 days. Children who receive TANF child-only are generally eligible for Hoosier Healthwise (Medicaid).

**What is Hoosier Healthwise?** Hoosier Healthwise is Indiana's Medicaid managed care program for children. Children in kinship care are generally eligible based on the child's income. It covers doctor visits, dental, prescriptions, mental health services, emergency care, and vision. Apply at fssabenefits.in.gov or 1-800-403-0864.

**What is Kinship Indiana Support Services (KISS)?** A DCS program providing some stipends and supportive services to unlicensed relatives caring for children placed by DCS. If DCS placed the grandchildren with you, ask your DCS family case manager specifically about KISS.

**Can I petition for a higher per diem from DCS?** Yes. If you are in the licensed foster care system and find that the per diem does not meet the child's physical and medical needs, you can petition the court for an increase in the reimbursement rate. Many grandparents do not know this option exists.

**What legal authority do I need and how do I get it?** A notarized Power of Attorney from the incarcerated parent is the fastest immediate solution. For ongoing authority, file for guardianship in your county's probate court. Indiana Legal Services (1-844-243-8570; indianalegalservices.org) provides free help to income-eligible Hoosiers.

**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, IDOC phone calls through Telmate/GTL. Hoosier Healthwise 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: Indiana inmate search, send money, Indiana reentry resources, Staying Connected hub, how prison works hub. SOURCING: indianacapitalchronicle.com September 2022 (estimated 4% all Hoosier children 59,000 kinship care; just under 5,000 receive state financial support; licensed foster families daily payments DCS $18.88 per day food clothing housing travel; kinship families often at loss how to access TANF SNAP WIC; unlicensed relatives don't qualify per diem without licensing process; DCS Financial Assistance Options for Relative Caregivers brochure; licensed and unlicensed additional funding special occasions extracurricular birthday money); in.gov/dcs/foster-care/frequently-asked-questions/kinship-indiana-support-services-faqs/ (children placed relative caregiver home by DCS eligible Medicaid based child's income citizenship age; TANF income-based based on child's income identity residency degree relation citizenship; TANF apply FSSA Benefits Portal up to 45 days; medical programs elderly disabled 65+ blind disabled ABD Medicaid); in.gov/dcs/foster-care/kinship-indiana-support-services/financial-resources/ (children kinship care generally eligible Medicaid; OMPP Indiana Health Coverage Programs traditional Medicaid risk-based managed care waiver services; SNAP helps eligible families food; TANF cash assistance children under 18; VITA free tax help; WIC food assistance eligible pregnant women children up to age 5); inf2f.org/uploads/1/4/0/1/140150446/fs_grandparents_9.2023.pdf (TANF SNAP for food nutrition; fssabenefits.in.gov 1-800-403-0864 local DFR office; foster care reimbursement out-of-pocket per diem varies needs of child agency license; grandparents find per diem doesn't meet child's needs can petition court for increase; Hoosier Healthwise free or low-cost health insurance grandchildren; HCBS Medicaid Waiver respite other services and Medicaid; in.gov/medicaid/members/home-and-community-based-services/ inf2f.org/fact-sheets.html); theindianalawyer.com November 2023 (kinship guardians significant legal financial barriers Indiana child welfare; KISS Kinship Indiana Support Services some stipends unlicensed relatives; no separate foster care branch for kin in Indiana; DCS kinship caregiver program relatives and fictive kin ongoing or reported cases; Child Specific Foster Care reduced requirements kin full license state funding benefits; Relative Caregiver Program unlicensed assistance; Raising Our Children's Kids Floyd County local advocacy group; daily payments DCS $18.88 per day food clothing travel); ciyoulaw.com (guardianship probate court parents notified right to object temporary or permanent decisions education healthcare welfare; third-party custody parents unable unwilling best interests child's wishes relationship; kinship care through DCS DCS maintains custody temporary reunification goal); grandfamilies.org Indiana (TANF child-only caregiver income not considered not subject to time limits; Social Security SSI; subsidized guardianship Indiana Title IV-E GAP); IDOC Telmate GTL phone; IDOC notary services; fssabenefits.in.gov FSSA Benefits Portal; 1-800-403-0864 FSSA; Indiana Legal Services 1-844-243-8570 indianalegalservices.org; inf2f.org fact sheets; McKinney-Vento school enrollment; 2-1-1 Indiana community resources; Social Security 1-800-772-1213. NOTE for Poorwa: verify 59,000 Indiana kinship children 5,000 receive state support figures current; verify TANF child-only Indiana grandparent income not counted still current; verify Hoosier Healthwise still Indiana children's Medicaid name; verify fssabenefits.in.gov current FSSA portal; verify 1-800-403-0864 DFR current; verify TANF 45-day processing still current; verify Kinship Indiana Support Services KISS still DCS program current; verify licensed foster care per diem $18.88/day starting rate current; verify petition court for per diem increase still available; verify Indiana Legal Services 1-844-243-8570 indianalegalservices.org current; verify IDOC Telmate GTL phone provider; verify Title IV-E GAP Indiana current; verify HCBS Waiver respite current in.gov/medicaid; verify McKinney-Vento still applicable; len/character check before publish.]