Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Missouri

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Internal links (5): Missouri inmate search, send money, Missouri 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 Missouri | InmateAid

Missouri's primary kinship navigation line is the Kin-4-Kid Line: **1-833-KIN-4-KID (1-833-546-4543)**. You can call, text, or email. The staff are Master's-level professionals in human service fields -- human development and family studies, social work, education and counseling psychology. They speak any language through Language Select. And critically: they serve all kinship caregivers regardless of the child's foster care or custody status, the caregiver's age, income level, or relationship to the child.

This matters because most Missouri grandparents who are raising grandchildren whose parents are incarcerated are doing so outside the formal foster care system. The Kin-4-Kid Line is designed for them too.

Missouri also has the KinSafe Legal Alliance -- free legal assistance for informal kinship caregivers with non-contested guardianship cases in specific Kansas City-area and central Missouri counties. It is the kind of targeted legal resource that exists in almost no other state in this series. And Missouri has M.A.R.C.H. Mediation -- a statewide nonprofit providing free mediation and legal services for document filing to kinship families with an active child support case.

Missouri also has ParentLink -- a University of Missouri-based program that helps families apply for Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, and Child Care Subsidy, offers parenting support, and has specific kinship services for caregivers raising a child who is not their own. ParentLink also offers services for families of incarcerated parents.

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 Missouri 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 Missouri right now:

MO Kin-4-Kid is the first call regardless of your situation. It serves formal kinship (children in DSS foster care system), informal kinship (private arrangements), and everything in between. Call 1-833-546-4543.

If the grandchildren are NOT in the DSS child welfare system, apply for TANF, MO HealthNet, and SNAP through Missouri DSS or with help from ParentLink.

If DSS placed the grandchildren with you, your DSS Children's Division caseworker is your primary contact. Ask about foster care payments, licensing, and the Title IV-E Guardianship Assistance Program.

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

**Guardianship**

Guardianship through Missouri circuit court (probate division) gives you full legal authority to make decisions for the grandchildren -- school enrollment, medical care, benefits applications, day-to-day decisions. Unlike adoption, guardianship does not sever the parent's rights. Parents can go back to court and ask for guardianship to be terminated. For families where the incarcerated parent has a realistic path to release and reunification, guardianship may be preferable to adoption.

Contact the MO Kin-4-Kid Line (1-833-546-4543) for connections to legal services. For non-contested guardianship cases in eligible counties, the KinSafe Legal Alliance provides free legal assistance.

**KinSafe Legal Alliance**

This is one of the most valuable legal resources in the series. KinSafe Legal Alliance provides free legal assistance for informal kinship caregivers with non-contested guardianship cases:

- Four counties in the Kansas City area

- Five counties in the central area of Missouri

The purpose is to help children remain safely in informal kinship care and prevent unnecessary foster care placements by removing legal barriers.

Call or text 1-833-546-4543 to learn more and get connected. Verify your county's eligibility with the Kin-4-Kid line.

**Power of Attorney (POA)**

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

MO Kin-4-Kid has a fact sheet on Power of Attorney for kinship caregivers at mokin4kid.org. Review it before drafting the POA.

**Title IV-E Guardianship Assistance (DSS Cases)**

Missouri has an approved Title IV-E Guardianship Assistance Program. It is available to grandparents, aunts, uncles, adult siblings, adult first cousins, or any person whose life is so intermingled with the child that the relationship is similar to a family relationship -- who has obtained legal guardianship for eligible children who have come through the DSS foster care system. Ask your DSS caseworker about eligibility.

Money: What Missouri Offers Kinship Caregivers

**TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)**

Missouri TANF provides cash benefits to low-income families for children's basic needs -- clothing, utilities, and other necessities. Apply through Missouri DSS or with help from ParentLink.

For grandparents: the child-only grant is based on the child's income, not the grandparent's. Child-only TANF grants are not subject to the time limits that apply to adults.

Apply at dss.mo.gov or at your local DSS Family Support Division (FSD) office. ParentLink can help with the application.

**MO HealthNet (Missouri Medicaid)**

MO HealthNet is Missouri's Medicaid name. MO HealthNet for Kids provides medical care for children under 19 whose family income falls within eligibility guidelines. Apply through DSS or with ParentLink's assistance.

MO HealthNet covers doctor visits, dental, prescriptions, mental health services, emergency care, and vision.

**SNAP (Food Assistance)**

Apply for SNAP through DSS or with ParentLink. The grandchildren's presence increases your household food benefit.

**Child Care Subsidy**

Available through DSS for income-eligible families. ParentLink can assist with the application.

**Missouri First Steps**

Early intervention services and assistance for children ages 0-3 with special needs. ParentLink also offers child developmental screenings for children ages 0-6. If the grandchildren arrived young and have had limited developmental support, contact ParentLink (parentlink.missouri.edu) or Missouri First Steps through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

**M.A.R.C.H. Mediation Services**

M.A.R.C.H. (a statewide nonprofit) provides free services to eligible kinship families with an active IV-D (child support) case:

- Up to four hours of free mediation services

- Free legal services for court document filing

- Free supervised visitation services

- Available in-person, by phone, or virtual

Call 800-595-9750 to request services and determine eligibility. This is especially relevant when there are ongoing disputes about child support or visitation between the caregiver and the incarcerated parent's family.

**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.

MO Kin-4-Kid: The First Call

MO Kin-4-Kid is Missouri's kinship navigator program, led by the Missouri DSS Children's Division in partnership with five organizations including ParentLink at the University of Missouri.

**Contact:**

- Call or text: **1-833-KIN-4-KID (1-833-546-4543)**

- Email: mucoeparentlinkki1@missouri.edu

- Website: mokin4kid.org

**Who they serve**: All kinship caregivers regardless of custody or foster care status, age, income, or relationship to the child. Grandparents, step-grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, godparents, family friends, neighbors -- if you are raising a child who is not yours, they serve you.

**What they provide**:

- Master's-level professionals who visit with caregivers to think through solutions

- Community resource information and connections

- Information about legal pathways

- Educational and peer connection opportunities (virtual and in-person)

- Connection to KinSafe Legal Alliance for free legal assistance in eligible counties

- Information about TANF, MO HealthNet, SNAP, Child Care Subsidy

- Multilingual: Language Select for any language

**ParentLink** (the University of Missouri-based family support program) is a partner in Kin-4-Kid and also available separately at parentlink.missouri.edu. ParentLink offers kinship services for caregivers, assistance with Medicaid/SNAP/TANF/Child Care Subsidy applications, parenting classes, child developmental screenings, and specific services for families of incarcerated parents.

**Missouri Kinship Providers** -- three Family Resource Centers and Family Forward work with DSS Children's Division and ParentLink to provide support statewide. Find one near you at mokin4kid.org/resources.

The School Question

With a POA, guardianship, or court-ordered 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.

MO Kin-4-Kid has a fact sheet specifically about how kinship caregivers can gain the legal authority to enroll a child in school and receive medical care. Available at mokin4kid.org/legal-information.

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

Get a notarized parental POA from the incarcerated parent through MDOC notary services. Contact the facility case manager. The MO Kin-4-Kid POA fact sheet at mokin4kid.org explains the process.

Apply for MO HealthNet for the grandchildren through DSS or with ParentLink's help. MO HealthNet enrollment does not require legal authority -- it requires proof of the child's identity and Missouri residency.

Missouri's Geographic Reality

Missouri stretches from Kansas City on the western border to St. Louis on the eastern border -- two major cities about 250 miles apart. Between and around them: Springfield (Ozarks), Joplin, Columbia, St. Joseph, Jefferson City. And the Bootheel -- the extreme southeastern corner of Missouri, a flat agricultural region without the elevation break of the Ozarks, one of the more economically isolated parts of the state.

MDOC facilities are spread across the state, many in rural central Missouri: Jefferson City Correctional Center, Farmington Correctional Center, Crossroads (Olean), Chillicothe Correctional Center (women's). For families in Kansas City visiting a parent in Farmington (southeast Missouri): about 4 hours. The Kin-4-Kid Line is available statewide by phone and text.

United Way 2-1-1 (dial 2-1-1 or visit 211.org) provides 24/7 connection to local community resources throughout Missouri.

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 registrations, doctor appointments, 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. Those feelings do not have to resolve. You can love your child and be furious. You can hope for the release and dread what comes after.

Missouri's opioid crisis has hit rural communities -- the Ozarks, the Bootheel, the river towns -- as hard as any urban center. Incarceration connected to addiction is a specific kind of grief that does not end with the arrest. ParentLink has specific services for families of incarcerated parents. The Kin-4-Kid Line is staffed by people trained to hold this conversation. Use them.

The peer connection opportunities through MO Kin-4-Kid -- virtual and in-person -- put you with other grandparents doing what you are doing.

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.

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

MO HealthNet covers mental health services for children. If the grandchildren are struggling, contact the Kin-4-Kid Line for referrals or ask the school counselor.

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. The Kin-4-Kid peer groups, a therapist, a trusted person -- any of these is better than carrying it alone.

What to Do First: A Practical Checklist

Call or text the Kin-4-Kid Line: 1-833-546-4543. This is the first call. They will help you figure out what comes next regardless of your custody situation or income.

Get a notarized POA from the incarcerated parent through MDOC notary services. Contact the facility case manager. Review the POA fact sheet at mokin4kid.org.

Apply for TANF child-only grant, MO HealthNet, SNAP, and Child Care Subsidy through DSS or with ParentLink's help (parentlink.missouri.edu).

Ask the Kin-4-Kid Line whether your county qualifies for KinSafe Legal Alliance free guardianship assistance (four Kansas City-area counties and five central Missouri counties). If so, they will connect you.

Start the guardianship process. Contact the Kin-4-Kid Line for legal resource referrals beyond the KinSafe service area.

If there is an active child support case, contact M.A.R.C.H. at 800-595-9750 for free mediation and legal document filing assistance.

If DSS placed the children: ask your caseworker about foster care payments and the Title IV-E Guardianship Assistance Program.

Enroll the grandchildren in school. Use McKinney-Vento if needed. Ask Kin-4-Kid for the school enrollment fact sheet.

For children under 3 with developmental concerns: contact Missouri First Steps through parentlink.missouri.edu.

Dial 2-1-1 for local community resources in your specific county.

Take care of yourself. The Kin-4-Kid peer connection groups are there. Use them.

FAQ

**What is MO Kin-4-Kid and who does it serve?** MO Kin-4-Kid is Missouri's kinship navigator program, led by DSS Children's Division in partnership with ParentLink and others. It serves all kinship caregivers regardless of custody/foster care status, age, income, or relationship to the child -- grandparents, aunts, uncles, family friends, and others. Free. Multilingual. Staffed by Master's-level professionals. Call or text 1-833-546-4543 or visit mokin4kid.org.

**What is the KinSafe Legal Alliance?** Free legal assistance for informal kinship caregivers with non-contested guardianship cases in four Kansas City-area counties and five central Missouri counties. Purpose: help children stay safely in informal kinship care without entering foster care. Call or text 1-833-546-4543 to check eligibility and get connected.

**What is MO HealthNet?** MO HealthNet is Missouri's Medicaid program. MO HealthNet for Kids provides medical care for children under 19 within income guidelines. Apply through DSS or with ParentLink's help. Covers doctor visits, dental, prescriptions, mental health services, and more.

**What is M.A.R.C.H. Mediation?** A statewide nonprofit providing free supervised visitation, mediation (up to four hours), and legal services for court document filing to eligible kinship families with an active IV-D (child support) case. Available in-person, by phone, or virtual. Call 800-595-9750.

**What is ParentLink?** A University of Missouri-based family support program providing parenting classes, child developmental screenings (ages 0-6), kinship services for relative caregivers, and application assistance for TANF, MO HealthNet, SNAP, and Child Care Subsidy. Also has specific services for families of incarcerated parents. Multilingual. parentlink.missouri.edu.

**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. Ask the school district for its McKinney-Vento liaison. A POA from the incarcerated parent enables standard enrollment. The Kin-4-Kid Line has a school enrollment fact sheet.

**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 feelings. Keep the parent present appropriately -- photos, letters, MDOC phone calls through ICS Corrections/GTL. MO HealthNet covers mental health services; contact the Kin-4-Kid Line for referrals or ask the school counselor.

[SPEC NOTE: Folder 1mWUamVufeanK-LZbmcw4rbPb7yRIWRSP. Internal CTAs: Missouri inmate search, send money, Missouri reentry resources, Staying Connected hub, how prison works hub. SOURCING: mokin4kid.org/about-us (MO KIN-4-KID led Missouri DSS Children's Division five organizations; individualized support kinship caregivers; all kinship caregivers regardless custody status age income relationship; formal mandated through child welfare court state custody; informal private arrangement parent and caregiver or safety plan not state custody; stepparent grandparent great-grandparent aunt uncle cousin sibling godparent family friend neighbor other non-relative loved one bond with child; equitable access services; warm supportive presence listening ear); mokin4kid.org homepage (Kin-4-Kid Line 1-833-KIN-4-KID 1-833-546-4543; email mucoeparentlinkki1@missouri.edu; text 833-546-4543; apply temporary assistance DSS; enroll child local school; apply MO HealthNet; legal documents relating to child; caseworker attorney health care therapy providers); cehd.missouri.edu/navigators/legal-information KinSafe (KinSafe Legal Alliance free legal assistance informal kinship caregivers non-contested guardianship four Kansas City counties five central Missouri counties; help children remain safely informal kinship care prevent foster care; call text 833-546-4543; guardianship does not sever birth parents' rights parents can go back to court; unlike adoption parents can ask guardianship terminated); mokin4kid.org/individual-family-support (MARCH statewide nonprofit free supervised visitation mediation legal services eligible families active IV-D child support case; up to four hours free mediation; free legal services court document filing; supervised visitation; in-person phone virtual; call 800-595-9750; MO HealthNet Medicaid qualified medical expenses eligibility; MO HealthNet for Kids under 19 income guidelines; TANF cash benefits low-income families clothing utilities; Missouri First Steps 0-3 special needs; ParentLink child developmental screenings 0-6); mokin4kid.org/resources (Missouri Kinship Providers three Family Resource Centers Family Forward nonprofits work DSS Children's Division ParentLink; ParentLink free assistance all families parenting questions child development screenings connect to resources; United Way 2-1-1 24/7 resources agencies; chart benefits kinship caregivers based arrangement); mofamilytofamily.org/missouri-resources/ (ParentLink Kinship Navigator Line Kin-4-Kid Line assist strengthen families relative kin caregivers grandparents foster parents kinship relationship; foster care legal guardianship arrangements at risk of entering foster care outside child welfare); parentlink.missouri.edu Kin-4-Kid line (Master's level professionals human development family studies social work education counseling psychology; community service resource information; Language Select any language; basic resources kinship caregivers list); dss.mo.gov (DSS Children's Division foster care adoption guardianship subsidy programs); dssmanuals.mo.gov Section 4 Chapter 9 (subsidized guardianship grandparent aunt uncle adult sibling adult first cousin or person life intermingled relationship similar family relationship obtained legal guardianship eligible children; Missouri Adoption Subsidy Program sections 453.065 453.073 453.074 RSMo; Title IV-E); grandfamilies.org Missouri (Title IV-E Guardianship Assistance Program approved dss.mo.gov/cd/adoption/; University of Missouri Extension Randolph County Grandparents Raising Grandchildren support groups education); dss.mo.gov/cd/info/forms/pdf/cd342.pdf ParentLink Central Missouri (parenting classes problem-solving child development screenings Medicaid SNAP TANF Child Care Subsidy applications kinship services military families incarcerated parents); MDOC ICS Corrections GTL phone; MDOC notary services; dss.mo.gov Missouri DSS; parentlink.missouri.edu; mokin4kid.org; McKinney-Vento school enrollment; Social Security 1-800-772-1213; 2-1-1 Missouri. NOTE for Poorwa: verify Kin-4-Kid Line 1-833-546-4543 current mokin4kid.org; verify KinSafe Legal Alliance still operating four Kansas City five central Missouri counties; verify MARCH 800-595-9750 still active and IV-D eligibility still current; verify MO HealthNet still Missouri Medicaid name and for Kids under 19 current; verify TANF child-only grandparent income not counted current Missouri DSS; verify ParentLink still operating parentlink.missouri.edu University of Missouri kinship services; verify Title IV-E Guardianship Assistance Missouri still current dss.mo.gov/cd/adoption/; verify Missouri First Steps still early intervention 0-3 current; verify United Way 2-1-1 Missouri current; verify MDOC ICS Corrections GTL phone provider; verify McKinney-Vento still applicable; len/character check before publish.]