Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Maine

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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 Maine | InmateAid

More than 15,000 kinship families in Maine are believed to be caring for children with little or no financial help from the government. That number comes from Maine DHHS's own research. Most of these families are not in the formal child welfare system. They are grandparents, aunts, uncles, and family friends who said yes when a parent could not, and then discovered that the system was not designed to find them.

The financial support in Maine is modest. TANF provides approximately $150 per month per child for grandparents with legal guardianship, and the amount goes down for additional children. That is not what it costs to raise a child. It is a floor, not a living wage.

What Maine has that is genuinely valuable: the Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine Kinship Program -- AFFM. It is the primary kinship support organization in the state. It provides peer-to-peer support from staff with personal kinship experience, C.A.R.E.S. support groups (Connect, Advice, Resources, Education, Support) statewide, a Maine Kinship Family Resource Guide, clothing and household items, information and referrals for navigating benefits and legal systems, and services for families from birth to age 23. Contact: 1-800-833-9786 or affm.net.

Maine also has Pine Tree Legal Assistance and Legal Services for Maine Elders for free legal help, and a Permanency Guardianship option through DHHS that -- when it applies -- can include a monthly subsidy, MaineCare, and college tuition assistance for the child.

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 Maine offers you 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 Maine right now:

If you are caring for grandchildren without DHHS child welfare involvement, you are among the vast majority of Maine's 15,000 kinship families. The state programs for you -- TANF, MaineCare, childcare subsidy -- exist, but reaching them requires you to find them.

If DHHS placed the grandchildren with you as a licensed kinship provider, you have more access to foster care payments and eventually the Permanency Guardianship option. Your DHHS caseworker is your primary contact.

The Office of Family Independence (OFI) handles TANF and most benefits. Call 1-800-442-6003.

AFFM (1-800-833-9786; affm.net) is the best first call in Maine when you do not know where to start.

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

**Guardianship (Probate Court)**

Guardianship for non-DHHS families is handled through Maine's probate courts. With guardianship, you have legal authority to enroll children in school, authorize medical care, apply for benefits, and make day-to-day decisions.

Pine Tree Legal Assistance (PTLA) provides free civil legal services for income-eligible Mainers, including guardianship. PTLA has an interactive online tool at ptla.org that walks you through questions and directs you to information based on your legal needs. Bangor office: 207-942-8241. Statewide: ptla.org.

If you are over 60, Legal Services for Maine Elders also covers guardianship defense and other legal issues; 1-800-750-5353 or 207-623-1797.

**Power of Attorney**

A notarized parental Power of Attorney from the incarcerated parent gives you immediate authority for medical care and school enrollment while you pursue guardianship. Maine DOC (MDOC) facilities have notary services -- contact the facility case manager.

**Permanency Guardianship (DHHS Foster Care Cases)**

If the grandchildren are in DHHS child welfare custody and adoption is not the appropriate permanency plan, Permanency Guardianship may be available. Permanency Guardianship through DHHS can include:

- MaineCare for the child

- A monthly subsidy

- College tuition assistance

- Financial assistance for one-time permanency guardianship expenses

Contact the child's DHHS caseworker and ask specifically for the "Permanency Guardianship Option: A Handbook for Relatives and Others Considering Permanency Guardianship for a Child in Foster Care."

**Adoption**

Adoption permanently terminates the biological parent's parental rights. If the incarcerated parent has a realistic path to release and reunification, consider carefully before pursuing adoption.

Money: What Maine Offers Kinship Caregivers

**TANF -- Approximately $150 per Month**

Maine's TANF program provides approximately $150 per month per child for grandparents with legal guardianship. The amount is pro-rated and goes down for additional children. Apply through the Office of Family Independence at 1-800-442-6003 or at your local DHHS office.

Adults who receive TANF must participate in **ASPIRE** (Additional Support for People in Retraining and Employment), a work training and education program run by Fedcap under contract to Maine DHHS. If you are sanctioned for not participating in ASPIRE, the children continue receiving their TANF benefit. "Good cause" exceptions exist for grandparents who cannot participate.

One important note: if you claim the grandchild as a dependent on your income taxes, the TANF amount will be reduced. DHHS needs to know about income and assets but focuses on the child's income for eligibility.

**MaineCare**

MaineCare is Maine's Medicaid program. Children in kinship care are generally eligible for MaineCare even without formal guardianship in many cases. MaineCare covers doctor visits, dental, prescriptions, mental health services, emergency care, and vision.

Apply through DHHS. Many caregivers do not realize they can obtain MaineCare support for the child in their care even if they themselves do not qualify based on income. Apply regardless of your own income and ask specifically about MaineCare for the children.

**Childcare Subsidy Program**

Maine offers a childcare subsidy for relative caregivers based on income eligibility. When you contact the program, let them know you are a relative caregiver and whether you have guardianship. Also let them know if the child receives public benefits (child-only TANF, SSI, MaineCare).

Contact: 1-877-680-5866 or 207-624-7999.

**SNAP (Food Assistance)**

Apply for SNAP through DHHS. The grandchildren's presence increases your household benefit level. Apply alongside TANF and MaineCare at your local DHHS office.

**Permanency Guardianship Subsidy (DHHS Cases)**

If the children came through DHHS child welfare and permanency guardianship is the plan, a monthly subsidy may be available plus MaineCare and college tuition assistance. Ask the DHHS caseworker.

**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.

AFFM: Maine's Kinship Program

Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine's Kinship Program is the most important kinship-specific resource in the state.

**What AFFM's Kinship Program provides:**

- Information and referrals to navigate public benefits, legal services, mental and behavioral health services, and aging and disability support

- C.A.R.E.S. support groups (Connect, Advice, Resources, Education, Support) throughout Maine -- both online and in person

- Maine Kinship Family Resource Guide

- Clothing and household items

- Respite support and connections

- One-on-one assistance

- Peer-to-peer support from staff with personal kinship experience

- Services for families from birth to age 23

AFFM serves all kinship families -- not just grandparents. Aunts, uncles, siblings, non-relatives with a connection. For Maine's tribal communities, AFFM recognizes that extended family relationships may include tribal clans, bands, and other members of a child's tribal community.

Contact: **207-827-2331** or toll-free **1-800-833-9786** | affm.net | Offices in Orono and Saco

Maine's Rural and Remote Reality

Maine is the most rural state in New England. Portland is the largest city with fewer than 70,000 people. Beyond Portland and Bangor, the state is mostly small cities, rural towns, and remote communities connected by long drives through forests.

The opioid and fentanyl epidemic has hit Maine's rural communities particularly hard -- Oxford County, Androscoggin, Penobscot, and the smaller communities throughout the state. Incarceration for drug-related offenses is one of the primary reasons Maine grandparents are raising grandchildren they did not plan to raise.

MDOC facilities include Maine State Prison in Warren (Knox County), Bolduc Correctional also in Warren, Downeast Correctional in Machiasport (Washington County -- far eastern coastal Maine, about 230 miles from Portland), and Mountain View in Charleston (Penobscot County). For families in Portland or southern Maine whose grandchild's parent is at Downeast Correctional, visiting is a full-day commitment each way.

AFFM's C.A.R.E.S. support groups are available online, which matters enormously in a state where a support group meeting could be 90 miles away. Use the online option if the in-person option is not accessible.

The Area Agency on Aging (1-877-353-3771) can connect you to caregiver support services in your region of the state. The AAA Caregiver Support Program is available regardless of your age.

The School Question

With legal guardianship or a 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 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. MDOC 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 MDOC notary services. Contact the facility case manager to arrange. This handles routine medical authorization while you pursue guardianship through probate court.

Apply for MaineCare for the grandchildren at your local DHHS office or call 1-800-442-6003. MaineCare enrollment does not require legal authority -- it requires proof of the child's identity and Maine 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 pickups, doctor appointments, lunches, someone to be home, someone to sit with a child who wakes up afraid.

You are also carrying your feelings about your child who is incarcerated. In Maine, where the opioid epidemic has been particularly brutal in rural communities, those feelings often include watching someone you raised become someone you did not recognize, and then watching the children show up at your door needing what you thought you were done providing.

AFFM's staff with personal kinship experience understand this in a way that most other professionals do not. The C.A.R.E.S. support groups -- online and in person -- put you in the same room (or the same Zoom) as other grandparents who are doing exactly what you are doing.

Call 1-800-833-9786. The support groups are free. You do not have to do this alone.

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.

Maine DOC phone calls go through ICS Corrections / GTL. You control which numbers are approved. The grandchildren's relationship with their incarcerated parent is theirs.

MaineCare covers mental health services for children. AFFM can provide referrals to mental and behavioral health services. If the grandchildren are struggling, contact AFFM or ask the school counselor 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: a place to hold the complicated feelings that is not in front of the grandchildren. AFFM's staff, the C.A.R.E.S. support groups, a therapist, a trusted person -- any of these is better than holding it alone through a Maine winter.

What to Do First: A Practical Checklist

Call AFFM at 1-800-833-9786. This is the first call in Maine. They have a Maine Kinship Family Resource Guide and can help you navigate what comes next.

Get a notarized Power of Attorney from the incarcerated parent through MDOC notary services. Contact the facility case manager. Immediate medical and school authorization.

Apply for TANF through the Office of Family Independence (OFI): 1-800-442-6003 or your local DHHS office. Ask about child-only TANF. Note the ASPIRE work requirement and whether you qualify for a "good cause" exception.

Apply for MaineCare for the grandchildren at the same time. Ask specifically about MaineCare for the children even if your own income is higher.

Apply for SNAP and ask about the childcare subsidy (1-877-680-5866 or 207-624-7999).

Start the guardianship process. Contact Pine Tree Legal Assistance (ptla.org; 207-942-8241) or Legal Services for Maine Elders if you are 60+ (1-800-750-5353).

If DHHS is involved, ask the caseworker about the Permanency Guardianship option including the monthly subsidy, MaineCare, and college tuition assistance.

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

Find a C.A.R.E.S. support group through AFFM. Online options are available for rural Maine families.

Take care of yourself. AFFM is there for you. Call them.

FAQ

**What is AFFM's Kinship Program and how does it help?** Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine's Kinship Program is the primary kinship support organization in Maine. It provides information and referrals, C.A.R.E.S. support groups (online and in person), the Maine Kinship Family Resource Guide, clothing and household items, respite support, and peer-to-peer assistance from staff with personal kinship experience. Serves all relative and non-relative kinship caregivers, families from birth to age 23, and Maine tribal communities. Contact: 1-800-833-9786 or affm.net.

**How much is TANF in Maine for grandparents?** Approximately $150 per month per child for grandparents with legal guardianship; the amount is reduced for additional children. Adults receiving TANF must participate in ASPIRE (work training/education) unless they have a "good cause" exception. Apply at 1-800-442-6003 or your local DHHS office.

**What is ASPIRE?** Additional Support for People in Retraining and Employment -- Maine's work training program for TANF recipients. If you are sanctioned for not participating, the children continue receiving TANF. "Good cause" exceptions apply in some situations. Contact Maine DHHS for details.

**Can my grandchildren get MaineCare even if I don't qualify?** Yes. Many caregivers do not realize that children in kinship care may be eligible for MaineCare (Maine Medicaid) even if the grandparent's own income is too high for the grandparent to qualify. Apply for the children at your local DHHS office or 1-800-442-6003.

**What is the Permanency Guardianship option through DHHS?** When the grandchildren are in DHHS custody and adoption is not the appropriate plan, Permanency Guardianship may include a monthly subsidy, MaineCare for the child, college tuition assistance, and financial assistance for one-time guardianship expenses. Ask the DHHS caseworker specifically for the Permanency Guardianship handbook.

**Can I enroll my grandchildren in school without legal authority?** 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 for its McKinney-Vento liaison.

**What legal help is available in Maine?** Pine Tree Legal Assistance (ptla.org; 207-942-8241) provides free civil legal services for income-eligible Mainers including guardianship. Legal Services for Maine Elders (1-800-750-5353) provides free legal advice for those over 60 including guardianship defense, MaineCare, Social Security, and powers of attorney.

[SPEC NOTE: Folder 1mWUamVufeanK-LZbmcw4rbPb7yRIWRSP. Internal CTAs: Maine inmate search, send money, Maine reentry resources, Staying Connected hub, how prison works hub. SOURCING: newscentermaine.com 2020 (more than 15,000 kinship families Maine caring for children little or no financial help; legal guardians get TANF about $150 per month per child amount goes down additional children; MaineCare state version Medicaid; DHHS child welfare evaluation; resource guide relative caregivers; kinship care policy Office Child Family Services); affm.net/support/the-kinship-program/ (educate policy writers lawmakers public; Maine Kinship Family Resource Guide; C.A.R.E.S. meetings support groups; lending library; licensed becoming licensed DHHS Office Child Family Services licensed kinship provider licensed foster home formal kinship provider; neutral observer assist families basic needs systems navigation family dynamics child behaviors); gksnetwork.org AFFM Maine (2023 721 kinship families served; birth to age 23; grandparents aunts uncles siblings non-relatives; tribal communities tribal clans bands; information referrals navigate systems public benefits legal services mental behavioral health aging disability; C.A.R.E.S. statewide online in person; staff personal kinship experience peer-to-peer; offices Orono Saco; 207-827-2331; 1-800-833-9786; affm.net); affm.net Maine Kinship Family Resource Guide (TANF DHHS pro-rated additional children; tax waiver claiming child reduces TANF; DHHS only needs income assets but not necessarily what; child income counted; ASPIRE work activity job training good cause exception; child continues TANF if adult sanctioned; childcare subsidy 1-877-680-5866 207-624-7999 relative caregiver inform guardianship public benefits; respite childcare break AFFM 1-800-833-9786; permanency guardianship DHHS custody adoption not best option MaineCare monthly subsidy college tuition assistance one-time guardianship expenses contact DHHS caseworker handbook); ptla.org Guide to TANF (ASPIRE Additional Support for People in Retraining and Employment Fedcap contractor Maine DHHS; Parents as Scholars; apply TANF SNAP MaineCare local DHHS office phone; fair hearing appeal denial; good cause exceptions); mainelse.org grandparent rights (Area Agency on Aging 1-877-353-3771; Pine Tree Legal ptla.org guardianship process interactive tool Bangor 207-942-8241; AFFM Kinship Program 207-827-2331; OFI financial assistance 1-800-442-6003; Maine Child Welfare Services Ombudsman; getting financial help grandchild TANF court ordered child support); AARP Maine caregiver resources (Legal Services for Maine Elders 1-800-750-5353 207-623-1797 free legal advice 60+ Medicare MaineCare Social Security pensions POA consumer guardianship defense; Pine Tree Legal 207-9428355 free civil legal housing food income safety education health); bangordailynews.com 2016 (AFFM Orono Saco 1-800-833-9786 support groups training mentorship one-on-one clothing household; FACT Families And Children Together 207-941-2347 resource guide grandfamilies; Pine Tree Legal Bangor 207-942-8241 guardianship interactive tool; MaineCare TANF relative caregiver child care possible without personal qualification); Maine Kinship Guide mainelaw.maine.edu; UMaine report (15,000 kinship families; RAPP financial security community resources mental health substance abuse; 10% in DHHS child welfare eligible foster care payments; TANF ASPIRE work requirements; DHHS Office Child Family Services); MDOC ICS Corrections GTL phone; MDOC notary services; 1-800-442-6003 OFI Maine; McKinney-Vento school enrollment; Social Security 1-800-772-1213; 1-877-353-3771 AAA Maine. NOTE for Poorwa: verify TANF approximately $150/month per child and amount goes down additional children still current at Maine DHHS; verify ASPIRE requirement and good cause exceptions current; verify MaineCare still Maine Medicaid name and children in kinship care generally eligible; verify 1-800-442-6003 OFI current; verify AFFM 1-800-833-9786 and 207-827-2331 affm.net current; verify C.A.R.E.S. support groups still available online and in person; verify Pine Tree Legal ptla.org Bangor 207-942-8241 current; verify Legal Services for Maine Elders 1-800-750-5353 207-623-1797 current; verify childcare subsidy 1-877-680-5866 207-624-7999 current; verify permanency guardianship subsidy college tuition assistance still available through DHHS; verify AAA 1-877-353-3771 current; verify MDOC ICS Corrections GTL phone provider; verify McKinney-Vento still applicable; len/character check before publish.]