Schema: Article + FAQPage
Internal links (5): Rhode Island inmate search, send money, Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island | InmateAid
Rhode Island calls its TANF program **RI Works**. The Rhode Island Department of Human Services website is direct about who qualifies: "Kinship guardians (i.e. a grandparent raising their grandchildren) can also apply for RI Works to support the children that they are legally responsible for." Recipients can also receive child care, transportation, and educational services toward long-term stabilization.
Rhode Island's Medicaid managed care program is called **RIte Care**. Children in kinship care generally qualify based on income.
Rhode Island also has a notable YMCA partnership through the Office of Healthy Aging: grandparents age **55 or older** raising grandchildren can access free educational and wellness programming, after-school care, summer camp scholarships, and free YMCA programs in the greater Providence, Pawtucket, Lincoln, and Woonsocket areas. **No income restrictions.** Contact The Point at 401-462-4444.
Rhode Island's definition of "kin" under DCYF (Department of Children, Youth and Families) policy is one of the broader definitions in this series: an individual related to the child by blood, marriage, or adoption OR an individual who is part of the family support system -- a godparent, a former caretaker, a close family friend, a neighbor, a member of the clergy, or any adult who has a close and caring relationship with the child. If you are not a blood relative but you are the person the child trusts, Rhode Island's system was designed to include you.
Rhode Island is the smallest state in the country. Most of the state is within 30-45 minutes of Providence. The challenge here is not usually distance -- it is knowing what exists. This article is a map.
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 Rhode Island right now:
**For benefits (RI Works, RIte Care, SNAP)**: Contact RI DHS (Department of Human Services) at dhs.ri.gov or your local DHS office.
**For child welfare questions, DCYF involvement, kinship guardianship assistance**: Call DCYF's Family Support Line at **1-888-RI-Famly (1-888-743-2659)**. Or call the main DCYF number at 401-528-3500.
**For the YMCA programming (age 55+) and aging services**: Contact The Point / Aging and Disability Resource Center at **401-462-4444** (24/7). Or dial **2-1-1** from any phone.
**For POA or immediate legal authority**: Contact the RIDOC (RI Department of Corrections) facility case manager to arrange notarization with the incarcerated parent.
Legal Authority: What It Is and How to Get It in Rhode Island
**Power of Attorney**
A notarized parental POA from the incarcerated parent gives you immediate authority for school enrollment and medical care. RIDOC facilities have notary services -- contact the facility case manager. The ACI complex in Cranston is within an hour of most of Rhode Island.
**Guardianship (Rhode Island Family Court)**
Guardianship through Rhode Island Family Court is the primary long-term legal pathway for grandparents not in the DCYF child welfare system. With guardianship, you have the legal rights and responsibilities to care for the grandchildren, make medical decisions, and represent their interests.
Rhode Island Legal Services (rilas.org) provides free civil legal help to income-eligible Rhode Islanders, including guardianship cases.
**Kinship Guardianship Assistance (DCYF)**
For families in the DCYF system where guardianship is the permanency plan:
- DCYF negotiates and enters a written, binding kinship guardianship assistance agreement with the prospective legal guardian
- Legal guardians may be eligible for federal Title IV-E Kinship Guardianship Assistance, OR may choose to receive TANF (loco parentis) through RI DHS
- Child care may be funded through DHS or DCYF until the child reaches age six
- Contact DCYF Adoption and Guardianship Subsidies: **(401) 528-3743**
**Rhode Island's Definition of Kin**
Under DCYF Policy 900.0025, "kin" or "relative" means an individual related to the child by blood, marriage, or adoption -- OR an individual who is part of the family support system: a godparent, a present or former caretaker, a close family friend, a neighbor, a member of the clergy, or any other adult who has a close and caring relationship with the child.
This definition matters. If you are the neighbor who has known this child since birth, or the family friend who stepped in, Rhode Island's system was designed with you in mind.
**Adoption**
Adoption permanently terminates the biological parent's parental rights. Contact DCYF at (401) 528-3500 or the Adoption and Guardianship Subsidies unit at (401) 528-3743 for information on adoption assistance.
Money: What Rhode Island Offers Kinship Caregivers
**RI Works (TANF)**
Rhode Island's TANF program. Kinship guardians -- grandparents raising grandchildren for whom they are legally responsible -- can apply for RI Works to support those children. Recipients can also receive child care, transportation, and educational services.
Apply through RI DHS: dhs.ri.gov. Find your local DHS office through the website or call DHS.
**RIte Care (Rhode Island Medicaid)**
RIte Care is Rhode Island's Medicaid managed care program for families, children, and pregnant women. Children in kinship care generally qualify based on income.
RIte Care covers doctor visits, dental, prescriptions, mental health services, emergency care, and vision. Apply through RI DHS.
**SNAP (Food Assistance)**
Apply through RI DHS. The grandchildren's presence increases your household food benefit.
**Kinship Guardianship Assistance (DCYF)**
For legal guardians with DCYF cases: financial and medical assistance through a written kinship guardianship assistance agreement. Contact DCYF at (401) 528-3743.
**YMCA Partnership (Age 55+ / No Income Restriction)**
Through the Office of Healthy Aging's partnership with the YMCA:
- Free educational and wellness programming year-round for children whose primary caregiver is age 55 or older
- After-school care
- Summer camp scholarships
- Free YMCA programs
- Service area: greater Providence, Pawtucket, Lincoln, and Woonsocket
- **No income restrictions**
Contact The Point at 401-462-4444 or dial 2-1-1 for information.
**Lifespan Respite Care Program (OHA)**
Rhode Island's Office of Healthy Aging administers the Lifespan Respite Care Program, partnering with community-based care partners to provide respite care, peer support, mentorship, advocacy, and resource access for kinship families. Ask at The Point (401-462-4444) about respite options for grandparent caregivers.
**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.
Key Rhode Island Resources for Grandparent Caregivers
**The Point / Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC)**
Phone: **401-462-4444** (24/7)
Also: dial **2-1-1** from any phone
The statewide resource center for older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers including kinship families. Trained specialists answer questions and connect callers to services and resources around the clock.
**DCYF Family Support Line**
**1-888-RI-Famly / 1-888-743-2659**
For families with questions about DCYF child welfare services, kinship care, or family support. 24/7 access. Staffed to help families navigate DCYF systems.
**The Village**
Rhode Island's only foster and adoptive family founded and governed support organization. Provides peer support for kinship, foster, and adoptive families through monthly support groups, a community closet, and family events. Find The Village online for current schedule and contact.
**RI Kinship Community Connections**
kinshipcommunityconnections.org
A local resource listing site specifically for Rhode Island kinship caregivers. Includes benefits information, local program listings, and resource connections.
**Office of Healthy Aging -- Grandparents and Kinship Families Programs**
oha.ri.gov
Information on the YMCA partnership, Lifespan Respite, peer support, and other OHA programs for grandparent and kinship caregivers.
**Rhode Island Legal Services**
rilas.org
Free civil legal help for income-eligible Rhode Islanders, including guardianship and custody matters.
**United Way of Rhode Island / Family Caregiver Alliance of RI (FCARI)**
unitedwayri.org
Advocacy, education, peer support, and resources for family caregivers including kinship families. Connects to local services.
The School Question
With a POA, guardianship, or legal custody, school enrollment in Rhode Island is straightforward.
Without legal authority: use the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Rhode Island schools must immediately enroll children in unstable housing situations, including children living with relatives due to a parent's incarceration. Ask the school district's McKinney-Vento liaison.
Rhode Island's compact geography means school districts are accessible. But enrollment without documentation can still create delays. A notarized parental POA (arranged through RIDOC) handles this most effectively.
For children with IEPs, you will need legal authority or signed parental authorization from the incarcerated parent to participate in planning meetings. RIDOC 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 RIDOC notary services. Contact the facility case manager. The Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) complex in Cranston is within 30-45 minutes of most of Rhode Island.
Apply for RIte Care for the grandchildren through RI DHS. RIte Care enrollment does not require legal authority -- it requires documentation of the child's Rhode Island residency and identity.
Rhode Island's Geographic Reality
Rhode Island covers about 1,212 square miles -- the smallest state in the country. Almost everything is within 30-45 minutes of Providence. The Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) complex in Cranston holds most RIDOC facilities, including the Women's Division. For a Newport family visiting the ACI: about 35 minutes west. For a Woonsocket family: about 30 minutes south.
Rhode Island's opioid crisis was disproportionately severe per capita. Providence and Pawtucket were among the harder-hit New England cities. The incarceration that followed drug-related offenses put Rhode Island grandparents in this situation at rates that outpaced available support.
The geographic compactness means services are accessible in a way they are not in Montana or Oregon. The challenge in Rhode Island is not distance -- it is visibility. The YMCA programs, The Village's community closet, The Point's 24/7 line -- these exist and many Rhode Island grandparents do not know about them. This article is a map.
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.
You are also carrying your feelings about your child who is incarcerated. Rhode Island was a test bed for harm reduction policies precisely because the opioid crisis here arrived so fast and so hard. The incarceration that followed does not mean the parent's story is over. It means you are now in the middle of it.
The Village's monthly support groups, The Point's connections to the YMCA programs, the peer support through OHA's Lifespan Respite partners -- these communities of other grandparents doing what you are doing exist in Rhode Island. Dial 2-1-1. Call 401-462-4444. You should not 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.
RIDOC phone calls go through ICS Corrections / GTL. You control which numbers are approved. The grandchildren's relationship with their incarcerated parent is theirs.
RIte Care covers mental health services for children. If the grandchildren are struggling, ask the school counselor for a referral or the child's RIte Care 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. The Village's support groups, The Point, a therapist, a pastor, a trusted person -- any of these is better than holding it alone.
What to Do First: A Practical Checklist
Call The Point (401-462-4444, 24/7) or dial 2-1-1. Trained specialists will connect you to services in your area.
Get a notarized POA from the incarcerated parent through RIDOC notary services. Contact the ACI case manager. The ACI complex in Cranston is accessible from most of Rhode Island.
Apply for RI Works (TANF), RIte Care (Medicaid), and SNAP through RI DHS at dhs.ri.gov.
If you are 55 or older: contact The Point (401-462-4444) about the YMCA partnership for free programming for the grandchildren. No income restrictions.
If DCYF is involved: call the Family Support Line at 1-888-743-2659 and ask about kinship guardianship assistance. Contact DCYF Adoption and Guardianship Subsidies at (401) 528-3743.
Start the guardianship process through Rhode Island Family Court. Contact Rhode Island Legal Services (rilas.org) for free civil legal help if income-eligible.
Connect with The Village for peer support, monthly support groups, and the community closet.
Enroll the grandchildren in school using the POA. Use McKinney-Vento if needed.
Visit kinshipcommunityconnections.org for a Rhode Island-specific list of local resources.
Take care of yourself. The support is here. You are in the smallest state in the country. The resources are closer than you think.
FAQ
**What is RI Works?** Rhode Island's TANF program. Kinship guardians (grandparents raising grandchildren for whom they are legally responsible) can apply for RI Works to support those children. Recipients can also receive child care, transportation, and educational services. Apply through RI DHS at dhs.ri.gov.
**What is RIte Care?** Rhode Island's Medicaid managed care program for families, children, and pregnant women. Children in kinship care generally qualify based on income. Covers doctor visits, dental, prescriptions, mental health services, emergency care, and vision. Apply through RI DHS.
**What is The Point?** Rhode Island's Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC). Phone: 401-462-4444 (24/7). Also reachable by dialing 2-1-1. Trained specialists connect callers to services and resources for older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers including kinship families.
**Is there a free YMCA program for grandparents raising grandchildren in Rhode Island?** Yes. Through the Office of Healthy Aging's YMCA partnership: free educational and wellness programming, after-school care, summer camp scholarships, and Y-based programs for children whose primary caregiver is age 55 or older. Service area: greater Providence, Pawtucket, Lincoln, Woonsocket. No income restrictions. Contact The Point at 401-462-4444.
**What is the Kinship Guardianship Assistance program?** DCYF's program for legal guardians with active DCYF cases who obtain guardianship as the permanency plan. DCYF negotiates a written kinship guardianship assistance agreement that may include financial assistance and medical coverage. Legal guardians can receive Title IV-E Kinship Guardianship Assistance or choose TANF (loco parentis) through RI DHS. Contact DCYF Adoption and Guardianship Subsidies: (401) 528-3743.
**What is The Village?** Rhode Island's only foster and adoptive family founded and governed support organization. Provides peer support for kinship, foster, and adoptive families through monthly support groups, a community closet, and family events. Find The Village online for current contact information.
**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, RIDOC phone calls through ICS Corrections/GTL. RIte Care covers mental health services for children; ask the school counselor or primary care provider for a referral.
[SPEC NOTE: Folder 1mWUamVufeanK-LZbmcw4rbPb7yRIWRSP. Internal CTAs: Rhode Island inmate search, send money, Rhode Island reentry resources, Staying Connected hub, how prison works hub. SOURCING: dhs.ri.gov/programs-and-services/ri-works-program July 2024 (RI Works TANF program; kinship guardians grandparent raising grandchildren also apply RI Works support children legally responsible for; recipients also receive child care transportation educational services goal improved long-term stabilization); dcyf.ri.gov/contact (DCYF main 401-528-3500; Family Support Line 1-888-RI-Famly 1-888-743-2659; Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-RI-CHILD 1-800-742-4453; Adoption Guardianship Subsidies 401-528-3743; Marianne Grodalski DCYF 401-528-3743); datadcyf.ri.gov legal guardianship kinship guardianship assistance (legal guardians eligible Title IV-E Kinship Guardianship Assistance OR TANF loco parentis through DHS; kin relative per DCYF Policy 900.0025 Kinship Care individual related child blood marriage adoption OR individual part family support system non-related godparent present former caretaker close family friend neighbor clergy other adult close caring relationship child; DCYF negotiates enters written binding kinship guardianship assistance agreement prospective legal guardian; provides copy agreement; child care funded DHS DCYF until age six per DCYF Policy 700.0090; TANF loco parentis DHS); oha.ri.gov/resources/caregiver-supportsrespite/grandparents-program (YMCA partnership free educational wellness programming year-round children whose primary caregiver age 55 or older; after-school care summer camp scholarships free Y-based programs; greater Providence Pawtucket Lincoln Woonsocket; no income restrictions; contact The Point or click; The Village incorporated March 2016 RI's only foster adoptive family founded governed support organization; peer support kinship foster adoptive families monthly support groups community closet family events); oha.ri.gov/resources/caregiver-supportsrespite (Lifespan Respite Care Program OHA partners community-based care partners quality accessible respite care peer support mentorship advocacy access resources kinship families; caregiver person provides care support without financial compensation); unitedwayri.org/get-help/fcari/ (The Point 401-462-4444 trained specialists answer questions connect services resources 24 hours day 7 days week; FCARI advocacy education peer support resources family caregivers including kinship; 211 AARP Caregiver Outreach; RIte Care RIteShare Medicaid programs; EOHHS respite services; AccessPoint RI); wearefamiliesrising.org RI adoption assistance (Rhode Island has Kinship Guardianship Assistance program; Marianne Grodalski DCYF 401-528-3743); aarp.org RI caregiver resources (RI Aging Disability Resource Center 401-462-4444; Point 401-462-4444; RI Office Healthy Aging 401-462-3000 manages resources aging caregiving older adults disabilities loved ones); kinshipcommunityconnections.org (RI Works kinship guardians grandparent raising grandchildren apply RI Works support children legally responsible; TCI caregiver benefits; BrightStars quality rating; respite program children disabilities; The Point 401-462-4444 dial 2-1-1); RIDOC ICS Corrections GTL phone; RIDOC ACI Cranston notary services; dhs.ri.gov; dcyf.ri.gov; oha.ri.gov; rilas.org Rhode Island Legal Services; kinshipcommunityconnections.org; 2-1-1 RI; 401-462-4444 The Point; 1-888-743-2659 DCYF Family Support Line; 401-528-3743 DCYF Adoption Guardianship Subsidies; McKinney-Vento school enrollment; Social Security 1-800-772-1213. NOTE for Poorwa: verify RI Works still Rhode Island TANF name; verify kinship guardians grandparent raising grandchildren apply RI Works children legally responsible still current dhs.ri.gov; verify RIte Care still Rhode Island Medicaid managed care name; verify The Point 401-462-4444 24/7 ADRC still current; verify YMCA partnership for grandparents 55+ no income restriction still current oha.ri.gov; verify service area Providence Pawtucket Lincoln Woonsocket still current; verify DCYF Family Support Line 1-888-743-2659 still current; verify DCYF Adoption Guardianship Subsidies 401-528-3743 still current; verify Kinship Guardianship Assistance program DCYF still current; verify broad kin definition DCYF Policy 900.0025 still current; verify The Village still operating monthly support groups community closet; verify kinshipcommunityconnections.org still current RI kinship resource listing; verify rilas.org Rhode Island Legal Services current; verify RIDOC ICS Corrections GTL phone provider; verify McKinney-Vento still applicable; len/character check before publish.]