Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Ohio

Schema: Article + FAQPage

Internal links (5): Ohio inmate search, send money, Ohio 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.

META BLOCK:

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Ohio | InmateAid

Ohio has two specific legal forms that grandparents can use immediately -- before any court involvement, before legal custody or guardianship is established.

The first is the **Grandparent Power of Attorney**. Ohio has its own form for this. The grandparent and one parent both sign before a notary. The form must be filed with the local juvenile court within five days. With it, you can enroll the grandchildren in school, access their educational records, participate in educational planning, and arrange routine and emergency medical, dental, and psychological care.

The second is the **Caretaker Authorization Affidavit**. This form is for grandparents who cannot locate the parents or whose parents will not sign. It **does not require the parent's signature**. It provides similar authority for school enrollment and medical care. It is also filed with the local juvenile court.

For a grandparent whose child is incarcerated and reachable, the Grandparent POA is the right tool -- and ODRC (Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction) facilities have notary services. For a grandparent who cannot reach the incarcerated parent, the Caretaker Authorization Affidavit is available.

Ohio's kinship navigator program is called **OhioKAN** (Ohio Kinship and Adoption Navigator). The phone number is **(844) 644-6526** (Monday-Friday 8:30am-6:30pm). It is 100% free. Navigators provide one-on-one support for benefits, school enrollment, childcare, health, legal questions, and more. This is the first call.

An estimated 227,862 children under 18 live with grandparents or other relatives in Ohio. About 124,000 of those children have no parent present in the home. Ohio was one of the states most heavily affected by the opioid epidemic, and the kinship care crisis here -- in Columbus, in Cleveland, in Dayton, in Appalachian southeastern Ohio -- is a direct consequence.

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 Ohio right now:

Get one of the two immediate legal tools in place today if you have not already. If you can reach the incarcerated parent through ODRC: use the Grandparent POA (both sign before a notary; file with juvenile court within 5 days). If you cannot reach the parent or they will not sign: use the Caretaker Authorization Affidavit (no parent signature required).

Call OhioKAN at (844) 644-6526. They will assess your situation and connect you to the right resources.

Apply for Ohio Works First Child Only (TANF child-only cash assistance) and Medicaid through your county JFS office.

Ohio's Two Immediate Legal Tools

**Grandparent Power of Attorney (Ohio-Specific Form)**

Ohio has its own Grandparent POA form -- not a generic document, a state-specific form used specifically by Ohio grandparents. What it does:

- Authorizes school enrollment

- Provides access to educational records and planning

- Allows consent for educational activities

- Authorizes routine and emergency medical, dental, and psychological care

To execute the Grandparent POA:

1. Both the grandparent AND a parent must sign in front of a notary

2. File the form with your local juvenile court within five days of signing

For incarcerated parents: ODRC facilities have notary services. Contact the facility case manager to arrange signing. The Grandparent POA form is available from your county JFS, local juvenile court, or through Ohio Legal Help (ohiolegalhelp.org).

**Caretaker Authorization Affidavit (Ohio-Specific Form)**

The Caretaker Authorization Affidavit is Ohio's option when the parent is unreachable or will not sign. It does **not require the parent's signature**.

It provides similar authority to the Grandparent POA:

- School enrollment

- Access to educational records and planning

- Routine and emergency medical, dental, and psychological care

File with your local juvenile court.

The Caretaker Authorization Affidavit form is available from your county JFS, local juvenile court, or through Ohio Legal Help (ohiolegalhelp.org).

**Ohio Legal Help (ohiolegalhelp.org)**

The Supreme Court of Ohio has sponsored an interactive kinship care tool at ohiolegalhelp.org. It walks grandparents through: understanding the court process, enrolling children in school, getting medical care, and accessing benefits. It includes a step-by-step action plan builder. Free. Worth reading before your first county JFS appointment.

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

**Legal Custody (Juvenile Court)**

Legal custody through Ohio juvenile court is the primary long-term legal authority for grandparents not in the county Children Services system. With legal custody, you have the rights and responsibilities to care for the grandchildren on a permanent basis.

OhioKAN Navigators can help with legal questions and referrals to legal aid organizations.

**Guardianship (Probate Court)**

Guardianship is available through Ohio probate court and provides comprehensive legal authority.

**Kinship Guardian Assistance Program (KGAP)**

For children exiting county Children Services foster care to kinship guardianship:

- A county Children Services agency must have conducted a home assessment and approved the placement

- Gross income of the caregiver's family (including the child) may not exceed **300% of the federal poverty guidelines**

- Provides monthly financial assistance and Medicaid

If the county Children Services agency placed the grandchildren, ask your worker about KGAP eligibility when guardianship becomes the permanency plan.

**Adoption**

Adoption permanently terminates the biological parent's parental rights. OhioKAN can provide information on the differences between guardianship and adoption.

Money: What Ohio Offers Kinship Caregivers

**Ohio Works First (OWF) Child Only**

Ohio's TANF program is called Ohio Works First. The Child Only program provides cash payments for the kinship child. The grandparent's income is not counted for child-only payments.

Apply through your county JFS (county Job and Family Services) office.

**Kinship Support Program (KSP)**

County-level cash assistance through county Children Services agencies for children in their custody. All children in Children Services custody automatically receive Medicaid.

**Important SNAP/Medicaid caution**: If you include the kinship child in your household for SNAP or Medicaid purposes, KSP payments count as unearned income for your household. If the KSP payments push your total household income above the eligibility threshold, your household may become ineligible for SNAP and/or Medicaid. Ask your OhioKAN Navigator or county JFS worker before counting the child in the household for these benefit calculations.

**Kinship Guardian Assistance Program (KGAP)**

Monthly financial assistance for kinship caregivers who obtain guardianship after a county Children Services placement. Income <=300% FPL; county-approved home assessment required.

**Ohio Medicaid**

Children in kinship care generally qualify for Ohio Medicaid based on income. Apply through your county JFS or Ohio Benefits Online (benefits.ohio.gov). Medicaid covers doctor visits, dental, prescriptions, mental health services, emergency care, and vision.

**SNAP (Food Assistance)**

Apply through your county JFS. Note the KSP income caution above when determining household size for SNAP.

**Child Care Assistance**

Available in certain circumstances for kinship and adoptive families. OhioKAN can identify whether you qualify and help with the application.

**WIC**

For grandchildren under 5. Find your local WIC office through Ohio WIC at wic.ohio.gov.

**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.

OhioKAN: The First Call

Ohio Kinship and Adoption Navigator (OhioKAN) is a program of ODJFS providing free, one-on-one support to all Ohio kinship and adoptive families -- formal and informal.

**Contact:**

- Phone: **(844) OHIO-KAN / (844) 644-6526**

- Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30am-6:30pm

- Website: ohiokan.ohio.gov

**What OhioKAN provides:**

- One-on-one Navigator support

- Resource database and referrals for benefits, basic needs, childcare, education, health, legal questions

- Help applying for benefits

- Connection to local and statewide resources

- OhioKAN does NOT give money directly -- it connects families to resources and helps them access what is available

OhioKAN serves ALL kinship caregivers -- those in informal arrangements, those with POAs or affidavits, those with legal custody or guardianship, and those in the county Children Services system. You do not need to be in the formal foster care system to call.

**Ohio Grandparent/Kinship Coalition (OGKC)**

The OGKC is an organization of kinship caregivers, advocates, and agencies throughout Ohio. Caregiver hotline: **(330) 737-7121**. Provides a network and links caregivers to services in their communities.

The School Question

**Use the Grandparent POA or Caretaker Authorization Affidavit.**

Ohio's Grandparent POA specifically authorizes school enrollment, access to educational records, and participation in educational planning. If you have it executed and filed with the juvenile court, take it to the school.

The Caretaker Authorization Affidavit provides the same school enrollment authority when the parent cannot or will not sign.

Without either form: use the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Ohio schools must immediately enroll children in unstable housing, including children living with relatives due to a parent's incarceration. Ask the school district's McKinney-Vento liaison.

For children with IEPs: you will need legal authority or signed parental authorization to participate in IEP planning meetings. The Grandparent POA covers this; the Caretaker Authorization Affidavit may also cover educational activities. Consult ohiolegalhelp.org for the current scope of each form.

Medical Authorization Before Court Paperwork Is Done

The Grandparent POA or Caretaker Authorization Affidavit handles routine and emergency medical, dental, and psychological care.

Apply for Ohio Medicaid for the grandchildren at benefits.ohio.gov or your county JFS. Medicaid enrollment does not require legal custody or guardianship.

Ohio's Geographic Reality

Ohio spans urban industrial cities, suburban counties, and rural Appalachian communities. The opioid epidemic hit all of them, but Appalachian southeastern Ohio -- Adams, Brown, Gallia, Highland, Jackson, Lawrence, Pike, Ross, Scioto, and Vinton Counties -- has been particularly devastated. Scioto County (Portsmouth) was sometimes called ground zero for the prescription pill crisis. These communities have significant kinship care populations and fewer formal resources.

ODRC prisons are distributed across the state: Chillicothe Correctional Institution (Ross County, southeastern Ohio), Ohio State Penitentiary (Youngstown, northeast), Ohio Reformatory for Women (Marysville, Union County, central Ohio), Correctional Reception Center (Orient, Pickaway County, central Ohio), and many others. For a Cleveland family visiting Chillicothe CI: about 90 miles south on US-23.

OhioKAN's local navigator network is designed to serve all 88 Ohio counties including the rural southeastern counties. Call (844) 644-6526 and a Navigator will connect you to what is available in your specific county.

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 wakes up afraid.

Ohio was one of the epicenters of the opioid crisis. Dayton, Columbus, Cleveland, Portsmouth -- cities where fentanyl arrived faster than any system could respond. The incarceration that follows does not mean the story is over. It means you are now in the middle of it.

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 fear what comes after.

OhioKAN's navigators are trained for this. The OGKC's caregiver hotline at (330) 737-7121 puts you with other grandparents doing what you are doing. The county-based kinship support groups listed in OhioKAN's resource database are there. None of this is easy to find 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.

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

Ohio Medicaid covers mental health services for children. If the grandchildren are struggling, ask the school counselor for a referral or the child's Medicaid 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. OhioKAN can connect you to counseling resources. The OGKC hotline at (330) 737-7121 connects you to peer support from other caregivers who understand.

What to Do First: A Practical Checklist

If the incarcerated parent can sign: complete the Ohio Grandparent Power of Attorney form (both sign before a notary, file with juvenile court within 5 days). Arrange notarization through ODRC facility case manager.

If the parent cannot be reached or will not sign: complete the Ohio Caretaker Authorization Affidavit (no parent signature required; file with juvenile court). Forms available at ohiolegalhelp.org or county JFS.

Call OhioKAN: (844) 644-6526 Monday-Friday 8:30am-6:30pm. A Navigator will assess your situation and connect you to resources.

Enroll the grandchildren in school using the POA or Affidavit. Use McKinney-Vento if needed.

Apply for Ohio Works First Child Only (OWF Child Only), Ohio Medicaid, and SNAP through your county JFS or benefits.ohio.gov.

Review the ohiolegalhelp.org kinship care interactive tool for a step-by-step action plan covering courts, schools, medical care, and benefits.

If county Children Services is involved: ask your worker about Kinship Support Program (KSP) payments and KGAP eligibility. Note the income caution -- KSP payments may affect SNAP and Medicaid eligibility if you include the child in your household count.

Contact OGKC at (330) 737-7121 for peer support and local resource connections.

Start the custody or guardianship process. OhioKAN can provide legal referrals. Ohio Legal Aid organizations serve all Ohio counties.

Take care of yourself. The support is there. You do not have to navigate this alone.

FAQ

**What is the Ohio Grandparent Power of Attorney?** An Ohio-specific form that both the grandparent and a parent sign before a notary. Must be filed with the local juvenile court within five days. Authorizes school enrollment, educational records access, and routine and emergency medical, dental, and psychological care. Available at ohiolegalhelp.org or your county JFS.

**What is the Ohio Caretaker Authorization Affidavit?** An Ohio-specific form for grandparents who cannot locate the parents or whose parents will not sign. Does NOT require a parent signature. Provides similar authority for school enrollment and medical care. File with local juvenile court. Available at ohiolegalhelp.org or your county JFS.

**What is OhioKAN?** Ohio Kinship and Adoption Navigator -- a free, statewide program of ODJFS providing one-on-one Navigator support to all Ohio kinship families (formal and informal). Phone: (844) 644-6526, Monday-Friday 8:30am-6:30pm. Website: ohiokan.ohio.gov. Does not give money directly -- connects families to resources and helps apply.

**What is Ohio Works First Child Only?** Ohio's TANF child-only cash assistance program. Provides cash payments for the kinship child; grandparent income is not counted. Apply at your county JFS.

**What is the KSP income caution for SNAP and Medicaid?** If you include the kinship child in your household for SNAP and Medicaid calculations, Kinship Support Program (KSP) payments count as unearned household income. If KSP payments push your household income above the SNAP or Medicaid threshold, you may lose those benefits. Ask your OhioKAN Navigator or county JFS worker before counting the child in your household for these programs.

**What is the Kinship Guardian Assistance Program (KGAP)?** Monthly financial assistance for kinship caregivers who obtain guardianship of children exiting county Children Services foster care. Requires a county Children Services home assessment and approval; household income <=300% FPL. Ask your county Children Services worker.

**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, ODRC phone calls through ICS Corrections/GTL. Ohio Medicaid covers children's mental health services; ask the school counselor or primary care provider for a referral.

[SPEC NOTE: Folder 1mWUamVufeanK-LZbmcw4rbPb7yRIWRSP. Internal CTAs: Ohio inmate search, send money, Ohio reentry resources, Staying Connected hub, how prison works hub. SOURCING: ohiolegalhelp.org/topic/grandchild_kinship February 2026 (Ohio common for grandparents temporary full-time care if parents can't; Ohio special forms grandparents make important decisions school healthcare; Grandparent POA fill out form with one of parents both sign notary file local juvenile court within five days; if tried find parents but can't Caretaker Authorization Affidavit next option; not have parents sign affidavit; authorize grandchild enrollment school access educational information involved educational planning consent educational activities arrange routine emergency medical dental psychological treatment; Grandparent POA must fill out form understand agree terms provide signature consenting parent yourself official notary); ohiolegalhelp.org/topic/KSP February 2026 (OhioKAN helps kinship post-adoptive families find resources support placement; OhioKAN does not give money directly but can help find resources apply benefits; kinship caregivers qualify SNAP Medicaid; all children Children Services custody Medicaid automatically not kinship caregiver other household members; SNAP Medicaid eligibility household size income; if include kinship child household count KSP payments count unearned income; if KSP moves income above threshold household ineligible SNAP Medicaid; Ohio Works First OWF Child Only program provides cash payments support kinship child); codes.ohio.gov Admin Code 5180:2-40-10 (Navigator OhioKAN representative information referral services; informal kinship caregiver private arrangement between parent kinship caregiver no child welfare agency involved informal includes temporary legal custody guardianship POA caretaker authorization affidavit parent retains legal custody; any kinship caregiver formal informal adoptive parent eligible OhioKAN services); fosteractionohio.org January 2025 (Kinship Guardian Assistance Program public children services agency home assessment approved; gross income caregiver family including child not exceed 300% federal poverty guidelines; OhioKAN phone 844-644-6526 Monday-Friday 8:30am-6:30pm free service; Navigators benefits basic needs child caregiver health childcare child social support education family functioning financial services legal questions; Ohio Grandparent Kinship Coalition OGKC caregiver hotline 330-737-7121 network system link caregivers services communities); ohiokan.ohio.gov (OhioKAN new statewide program kinship adoptive families; 100% free service Ohio kinship adoptive families; Call 844 OHIOKAN 844-644-6526 Mon-Fri 8:30am-6:30pm; navigators find directly access resources wide range circumstances; many ways get started call email); adriel.org OhioKAN (program helps close gap available kinship adoptive families Ohio actually using; financial resources training education assistance; families inherently capable finding solutions; program designed combine local knowledge statewide resources; assist children caregivers families navigate connect resources locally statewide; program of ODJFS; Adriel Allen Auglaize Defiance Fulton Hancock Hardin Henry Logan Mercer Paulding Putnam Van Wert Williams counties); docslib Ohio Resource Guide (Ohio Grandparent POA form in appendix; Caretaker Authorization Affidavit separate form; kinship care informal arrangement legal custody guardianship relative foster care kinship adoption; reasons incarceration substance abuse domestic violence; file form local juvenile court; ODJFS Office Families Children Bureau Protection Services Child/Adult 614-466-1213); kinship caregiving site 227,862 children under 18 grandparents other relatives Ohio 124,000 relative no parent present; Policy Matters Ohio; OhioKAN flexible responsive; ohiolegalhelp.org Supreme Court Ohio kinship care interactive tool; coaaa.org; ODRC ICS Corrections GTL phone; ODRC notary services facility case manager; ohiolegalhelp.org interactive; benefits.ohio.gov Ohio Benefits Online; county JFS; wic.ohio.gov; OGKC 330-737-7121; McKinney-Vento school enrollment; Social Security 1-800-772-1213. NOTE for Poorwa: verify Ohio Grandparent POA form still current -- both sign notary file juvenile court within 5 days; verify Caretaker Authorization Affidavit still current and no parent signature required; verify OhioKAN 844-644-6526 current Monday-Friday 8:30am-6:30pm; verify ohiokan.ohio.gov current; verify Ohio Works First Child Only still Ohio TANF child-only grandparent income not counted; verify KGAP Kinship Guardian Assistance Program 300% FPL still current; verify KSP income caution SNAP Medicaid still current; verify OGKC 330-737-7121 still current; verify ohiolegalhelp.org kinship care interactive tool still current; verify benefits.ohio.gov Ohio Benefits Online current; verify ODRC ICS Corrections GTL phone provider; verify McKinney-Vento still applicable; len/character check before publish.]