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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.
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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Kansas | InmateAid
In Kansas, one of the most useful resources for grandparents raising grandchildren is the KCSL Kinship Navigator program. It is free. It provides a dedicated case manager whose job is to connect you to the services and benefits you need. And it is specifically designed for caregivers of children who are NOT in the DCF (Department for Children and Families) custody system.
The Kansas Children's Service League (KCSL) also operates a 24-hour Parent Helpline at 1-800-CHILDREN (1-800-245-4736). You can call any time, day or night, to navigate parenting questions and find resources.
Kansas also has a Kansas-specific legal tool that most grandparents don't know about: under Kansas Statute § 38-137, a grandparent -- by birth or adoption -- can consent to the immunization of a minor when a parent is not reasonably available and the authority to consent is not denied. It does not require a court order. It does not require legal guardianship. For a grandparent trying to get grandchildren caught up on vaccinations the first week after they arrive, this statute matters.
Kansas is a rural state. Wichita and Topeka have more concentrated resources. The rest of the state -- the farming towns, the smaller cities, the high-plains communities -- relies heavily on county DCF offices and the 2-1-1 system for navigation.
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 tells you what Kansas offers 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 Kansas right now:
If you are caring for grandchildren without DCF involvement, the KCSL Kinship Navigator is your first call. It exists specifically for you.
If DCF placed the grandchildren with you, your DCF worker is your primary contact. Ask about kinship foster care approval, the Permanent Custodianship Subsidy, and Kids2Kin legal services (which requires a DCF referral).
Kansas's benefits programs -- TANF, KanCare (Medicaid), SNAP, childcare -- are administered by DCF. Apply at your county DCF office or online through dcf.ks.gov.
Dial 2-1-1 anywhere in Kansas (or 1-888-413-4327) for 24/7 information and referrals to community resources in your specific area.
Legal Authority: What It Is and How to Get It in Kansas
**Guardianship**
Guardianship through Kansas district court is the primary legal pathway for grandparents not in the DCF system. With guardianship, you have legal authority to enroll children in school, authorize medical care, apply for benefits, and make day-to-day decisions.
Unlike adoption, guardianship does not terminate the parent's rights. Parents retain certain rights and the obligation to financially support the child. Parents can go back to court to ask for guardianship to end. For families where the incarcerated parent is expected to be released and resume a parenting role, guardianship may be preferable to adoption.
Kansas Legal Services provides free legal help to income-eligible Kansans. The Kansas Elder Law Hotline through Kansas Legal Services assists older Kansans with guardianship. Contact: kansaslegalservices.org.
The KCSL Kinship Navigator program connects caregivers with low-cost legal assistance to help with guardianship.
**Kids2Kin (K2K) / Kansas Kin-Tech Legal Assistance**
Kids2Kin through Kansas Legal Services provides legal advice, representation, and mediation for kinship families including guardianship and adoption. Important: **referrals to Kids2Kin must be made by DCF.** If you are not in the DCF system, you cannot access Kids2Kin directly. Ask your DCF worker for a Kids2Kin referral if the children were placed by DCF.
**Power of Attorney**
A notarized parental Power of Attorney from the incarcerated parent gives you immediate authority for school enrollment and many medical decisions while you pursue guardianship. KDOC (Kansas Department of Corrections) facilities have notary services -- contact the facility case manager to arrange.
**Kansas Medical Consent Statute (§ 38-137)**
Kansas Statute § 38-137 allows a grandparent (by birth or adoption), adult sibling, adult aunt or uncle, stepparent, or another adult with care and control of the minor to consent to the **immunization** of a minor when a parent is not reasonably available. No court order required. No POA required.
This is limited to immunization, not all medical care. But for getting grandchildren vaccinated and enrolled in school -- where immunization records are required -- this statute gives you immediate authority without paperwork.
For broader medical care authorization (beyond immunization), a notarized POA from the incarcerated parent or guardianship is needed.
**Permanent Custodianship Subsidy (DCF-Involved Families)**
Kansas's Title IV-E subsidized custodianship program is called the Permanent Custodianship Subsidy. It is available for children exiting the DCF foster care system into a permanent custodianship arrangement. Ask your DCF worker about eligibility if the children have been in DCF care. More information at dcf.ks.gov/services/PPS/Pages/PermanentCustodianship.aspx.
**Adoption**
Adoption permanently terminates the biological parent's parental rights. It is not reversible. If the incarcerated parent has a realistic path to release and reunification, consider carefully before pursuing adoption. Kansas Legal Services can advise on whether adoption or guardianship is more appropriate for your situation.
Money: What Kansas Offers Kinship Caregivers
**TANF Child-Only Grant**
Kansas administers federal TANF funds through DCF. For child-only grants, the grandparent's income and assets are not counted -- only the child's income. TANF also provides access to free or low-cost childcare assistance for qualifying families.
Apply at your local county DCF office or online at dcf.ks.gov. Contact DCF at 1-888-369-4777.
**KanCare (Kansas Medicaid and CHIP)**
KanCare is Kansas's name for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Children in kinship care are generally eligible for KanCare based on the child's income. KanCare covers doctor visits, dental care, prescriptions, mental health services, emergency care, and vision.
Apply through your county DCF office or at dcf.ks.gov. Get the grandchildren enrolled in KanCare as quickly as possible.
**SNAP (Food Assistance)**
Apply for SNAP through your county DCF office or at dcf.ks.gov. The grandchildren's presence increases your household benefit level.
**SUN Bucks**
Kansas participates in SUN Bucks (Summer Nutrition EBT) -- a program providing additional food benefits for children during summer months when school meals are not available. Information at dcf.ks.gov.
**Childcare Assistance**
TANF households and low-income working families may be eligible for childcare assistance through DCF. Ask about childcare subsidy when you apply for TANF.
**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 KCSL Kinship Navigator: Your First Call
The Kansas Children's Service League (KCSL) operates the Kinship Navigator program specifically for grandparents, relatives, and family friends raising children who are NOT in DCF custody.
What the Kinship Navigator provides:
- A dedicated case manager assigned to your family
- Connection to services and benefits specific to your situation and county
- Assistance navigating the financial and medical assistance application processes
- Help overcoming barriers you face when parenting children who are not biologically yours
- Connection to low-cost legal assistance for guardianship
**KCSL Kinship Navigator is free. It requires no DCF involvement.**
KCSL also operates:
- A network of support groups throughout Kansas
- Family group conferences
- Resource materials
- 24-hour Parent Helpline: **1-800-CHILDREN (1-800-245-4736)**
Currently available in Sedgwick County and surrounding counties for the Kinship Navigator program. For caregivers in other counties, KCSL's helpline and resources are statewide.
Contact: kcsl.org | 1-800-CHILDREN (1-800-245-4736)
Kansas Family Advisory Network (KFAN)
KFAN (Kansas Family Advisory Network) provides a Kinship Navigator Program along with Birth Family Support, advocacy, and training for kinship, foster, and adoptive families. Locations in Wichita, Topeka, Dodge City, and Coffeyville.
For grandparents in or near these cities, KFAN is an additional navigator resource. KFAN also provides parent allies for court and support for case plans and family mediation.
The School Question
With guardianship, a POA, or legal custody, 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.
For immunization records (which schools require for enrollment), Kansas Statute § 38-137 allows grandparents to consent to immunization without a court order. Use this to get the grandchildren vaccinated and documented before or during enrollment.
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. KDOC facilities have notary services -- contact the facility case manager.
Medical Authorization Before Court Paperwork Is Done
**Immunization**: Kansas Statute § 38-137 allows grandparents to consent without court involvement when a parent is not reasonably available.
**Broader medical care**: Get a notarized parental Power of Attorney from the incarcerated parent through KDOC notary services. Contact the facility case manager to arrange. This handles routine medical authorization while you pursue guardianship.
Enroll the grandchildren in KanCare at your county DCF office or dcf.ks.gov. KanCare enrollment does not require legal authority -- it requires proof of the child's identity and Kansas 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, someone to be home, someone to sit with a child who is afraid at night.
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 and fear the same outcome.
Kansas's communities range from Wichita's urban scale to the farming communities of the western high plains and the smaller cities of the eastern part of the state. In the smaller communities, news travels. Some people in your life will support you. Some will disappear. Some will offer opinions you did not ask for.
KCSL's 1-800-CHILDREN line is 24 hours. You can call at 2am. The support groups that KCSL and KFAN operate put you in the same room as other grandparents who are doing what you are doing. That is worth more than most other things available to you in Kansas.
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.
KDOC phone calls go through ICS Corrections / GTL. You control which numbers are approved. The grandchildren's relationship with their incarcerated parent is theirs.
KanCare (Medicaid) covers mental health services for children. If the grandchildren are struggling, ask the school counselor for a referral or the child's KanCare 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. KCSL support groups, a therapist, a trusted person -- any of these is better than carrying it alone.
What to Do First: A Practical Checklist
Call KCSL at 1-800-CHILDREN (1-800-245-4736). Available 24/7. Ask about the Kinship Navigator Program and a dedicated case manager for your situation.
Use Kansas Statute § 38-137 to consent to immunizations immediately. No court order needed when you are the grandparent and the parent is not reasonably available.
Get a notarized Power of Attorney from the incarcerated parent through KDOC notary services. Contact the facility case manager. This handles broader medical authorization while you pursue guardianship.
Apply for TANF child-only grant, KanCare (Medicaid), and SNAP at your county DCF office or dcf.ks.gov. DCF: 1-888-369-4777.
Start the guardianship process. Contact Kansas Legal Services (kansaslegalservices.org) or the Kansas Elder Law Hotline for free legal help. The KCSL Kinship Navigator can also connect you to low-cost legal assistance.
If DCF placed the children, ask your DCF worker about Kids2Kin legal services (DCF referral required) and the Permanent Custodianship Subsidy.
Enroll the grandchildren in school. Use McKinney-Vento if needed. Use § 38-137 to handle immunization documentation.
Dial 2-1-1 (or 1-888-413-4327) to find community resources specific to your county.
Take care of yourself. KCSL's 1-800-CHILDREN line is 24 hours. Use it.
FAQ
**What is the KCSL Kinship Navigator and who can access it?** The Kansas Children's Service League (KCSL) Kinship Navigator is a free program providing a dedicated case manager for grandparents, relatives, and family friends raising children who are NOT in DCF custody. The Navigator connects you to services, benefits, and low-cost legal assistance. Contact: kcsl.org or 1-800-CHILDREN (1-800-245-4736). Currently concentrated in Sedgwick County and surrounding counties, with statewide helpline support.
**What is Kansas Statute § 38-137 and what does it allow?** Kansas law allows a grandparent (by birth or adoption), adult sibling, adult aunt or uncle, stepparent, or another adult with care and control of a minor to consent to the minor's immunization when a parent is not reasonably available. No court order required. Limited to immunization, not all medical care. Use this to get grandchildren vaccinated and enrollment-ready without waiting for legal paperwork.
**What is KanCare?** KanCare is Kansas's name for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). It covers children in kinship care who meet income eligibility based on the child's income. Covers doctor visits, dental, prescriptions, mental health services, and more. Apply at your county DCF office or dcf.ks.gov.
**What is the Kids2Kin program and how do I access it?** Kids2Kin (K2K) through Kansas Legal Services provides legal advice, representation, and mediation for kinship families including guardianship and adoption. A DCF referral is required -- you cannot access Kids2Kin directly without one. If DCF placed the children with you, ask your DCF worker for a Kids2Kin referral.
**What is Kansas's Permanent Custodianship Subsidy?** Kansas's Title IV-E subsidized custodianship program for children who exit DCF foster care into a permanent custodianship arrangement. Named "Permanent Custodianship" in Kansas rather than "subsidized guardianship." Ask your DCF worker about eligibility if the children came through DCF care.
**Can I enroll my grandchildren in school without guardianship?** 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. Use Kansas Statute § 38-137 to handle the immunization requirement without a court order.
**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, KDOC phone calls through ICS Corrections/GTL. KanCare (Medicaid) covers children's mental health services; ask the school counselor or the child's primary care provider for a referral if the grandchildren are struggling.
[SPEC NOTE: Folder 1mWUamVufeanK-LZbmcw4rbPb7yRIWRSP. Internal CTAs: Kansas inmate search, send money, Kansas reentry resources, Staying Connected hub, how prison works hub. SOURCING: kansaslegalservices.org/page/2282 Kids2Kin updated September 11 2025 (Kids2Kin K2K legal advice representation mediation kinship families guardianship adoption; DCF referral required; KanCare CHIP Medicaid national names Kansas calls it KanCare; Kin-Tech legal assistance consent to health care; Kansas Stat Ann §38-137 grandparent by birth or adoption adult brother sister half brother half sibling aunt uncle stepparent another adult care control minor may consent to immunization of minor if parent not reasonably available and authority to consent not denied; guardianship does not take away all birth parents' rights responsibilities parents keep certain rights financial obligation parents can go back to court ask guardianship ended; guardianship assistance payments relative caregivers exiting child welfare; relative caregivers without legal relationship laws allow health care treatment educational services access without court; tax credits federal); grandfamilies.org Kansas (Permanent Custodianship Subsidy Title IV-E dcf.ks.gov/services/PPS/Pages/PermanentCustodianship.aspx; KCSL Grandparents/Kinship Groups Activities network support groups family group conferences resource materials assistance applying financial medical services; KCSL Kinship Navigator dedicated case manager connects caregivers services benefits free connection low cost legal assistance; KADS Area Agencies on Aging); childally.org/kinship-resources (KCSL Sedgwick county surrounding counties dedicated case manager connects caregivers services assistance children NOT in DCF custody; KCSL 1-800-CHILDREN hotline available all caregivers anytime; Kids2Kin kinship families legal advice representation mediation guardianship adoption DCF referral required; KFAN Kinship Navigator Birth Family Support Advocacy Training Wichita Topeka Dodge City Coffeyville; 2-1-1 Kansas 24/7 call specialist free confidential 1-888-413-4327 United Way of the Plains; DCF benefits services TANF cash assistance food child care); dcf.ks.gov (Food Assistance SNAP Cash Assistance Child Care Assistance Utilities Energy Assistance SUN Bucks; Child Family Services Child Support Foster Care Adoption Family Mobile Crisis); Kansas Office of the Child Advocate (KCSL evidence-based programming children families health safety education; KFAN Kinship Navigator Birth Family Support Advocacy Training; Kids2Kin legal forms CINC Kansas Judicial Council; Kidlink mental health referrals); KDOC ICS Corrections GTL phone; KDOC notary services; dcf.ks.gov/services/PPS/Pages/PermanentCustodianship.aspx; 1-888-369-4777 DCF; kansaslegalservices.org; McKinney-Vento school enrollment; Social Security 1-800-772-1213; 2-1-1 Kansas 1-888-413-4327. NOTE for Poorwa: verify KCSL Kinship Navigator still free non-DCF program kcsl.org; verify 1-800-CHILDREN 1-800-245-4736 KCSL current; verify Kids2Kin still requires DCF referral kansaslegalservices.org; verify KanCare still Kansas Medicaid/CHIP name; verify Kansas §38-137 immunization consent grandparent still current; verify TANF child-only grandparent income not counted current; verify 1-888-369-4777 DCF current; verify Permanent Custodianship Subsidy still dcf.ks.gov/services/PPS/; verify KFAN Wichita Topeka Dodge City Coffeyville locations current; verify 2-1-1 Kansas 1-888-413-4327 current; verify KDOC ICS Corrections GTL phone provider; verify McKinney-Vento still applicable; verify SUN Bucks still Kansas DCF program; len/character check before publish.]