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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 Wyoming | InmateAid
Wyoming is the least populated state in the country. Around 580,000 people spread across a space roughly the size of the United Kingdom. When the grandchildren arrive and you need to find out what exists, it is not always obvious -- because in Wyoming, the distance between you and the right resource can be an hour of two-lane highway in any direction.
Two things to start with:
**Kinship Connections of Wyoming (KCO)** is a free kinship navigator service available statewide. kcowyo.org. It is a partner of Wyoming 211, the state's community resource system. If you do not know where to start, start here.
**Wyoming 211**: dial **2-1-1** from any phone, call **1-888-425-7138**, or text your zip code to **898211**. A Community Resource Specialist will connect you to services in your area.
Wyoming's TANF program is called **POWER (Personal Opportunities With Employment Responsibilities)**. The child-only grant is available to relative caregivers; your income is not counted. And notably: **Wyoming exempts all relative caregivers from the child support assignment requirement** -- you are not required to assign child support rights to the state as a condition of receiving TANF. That is not universal. Wyoming is one of only two states in the country (with Massachusetts) that does this.
Wyoming has two federally recognized tribes -- the **Eastern Shoshone Tribe** and the **Northern Arapaho Tribe** -- both on the Wind River Reservation in Fremont County. Both have their own TANF programs. Both have working relationships with Wyoming DFS through biennial contracts and the Legislature's Select Committee on Tribal Relations.
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 Wyoming right now:
**Contact Kinship Connections of Wyoming: kcowyo.org.** Free. Statewide. Navigators help with everything from benefits to guardianship to school enrollment to legal referrals.
**Dial 2-1-1 or call 1-888-425-7138** for Wyoming 211 and community resource referrals.
**Apply for POWER (TANF) child-only, SNAP, and Medicaid/Kid Care CHIP** through your local Wyoming DFS office. DFS main: **307-777-7564** / Toll Free: **800-457-3659** / dfs.wyo.gov.
**Get a notarized POA from the incarcerated parent** through WDOC notary services. Contact the facility case manager. The POA gives you school and medical authority while you pursue more formal legal status.
**If you are on the Wind River Reservation** or are an enrolled member of the Eastern Shoshone or Northern Arapaho Tribe: contact your tribe's TANF office. Eastern Shoshone TANF (Fort Washakie): **(307) 332-8053**.
POWER: Wyoming's TANF for Kinship Caregivers
Wyoming's TANF program is called POWER (Personal Opportunities With Employment Responsibilities). The child-only grant for relative caregivers is available through Wyoming DFS.
**Key features:**
- Your income as grandparent is **not counted** for the child-only grant
- Child-only TANF grants are **not subject to time limits** -- unlike adult TANF which has a five-year lifetime limit
- Based solely on the child's income
**Wyoming's exemption from child support assignment**: Wyoming exempts all relative caregivers from the requirement to assign child support rights to the state. In most states, applying for TANF means you must assign child support from the absent parent to the state. Wyoming does not require this of relative caregivers. It is one of only two states in the nation with this policy. This matters when the absent parent is your own child -- the grandchildren's incarcerated parent -- and pursuing child support against them is complicated by your relationship.
**How to apply**: At your local DFS office. dfs.wyo.gov. Main: 307-777-7564 / Toll Free: 800-457-3659.
**For Wind River Reservation families**: The Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes have their own TANF programs administered from Fort Washakie. Eastern Shoshone TANF: (307) 332-8053. Contact the Northern Arapaho Tribe's social services through the tribe directly.
Kinship Connections of Wyoming
**Kinship Connections of Wyoming (KCO)**
kcowyo.org
Partner of Wyoming 211
Kinship Connections of Wyoming is the state's primary kinship support organization. It is free to grandparents, relatives, and other caregivers raising children not their own. KCO is built into Wyoming 211 -- the statewide resource network.
**What KCO provides:**
- Information, referral, and advocacy for kinship caregivers
- Emotional support and case management
- Outreach to families across Wyoming's vast geography
- **Navigator services**: linking grandparents and relative caregivers to a broad range of services and supports -- benefits, legal help, housing, food, respite, and more
- Educational and training resources throughout the caregiving process
- School navigation: help with enrollment, IEP meetings, tutoring, GED programs, credit recovery, college prep, educational summer programs
- Navigators may accompany caregivers to school meetings including IEP meetings
- Blog and newsletter with current resources and events
Families who have worked with KCO describe it this way: "I would not have been able to accomplish the guardianship I needed for my grandson without this program." "When my life was in shambles you helped me make a plan and helped me step by step."
For rural Wyoming grandparents who are an hour from the nearest DFS office, KCO's navigator model is the difference between knowing what exists and not knowing.
Money: What Wyoming Offers Kinship Caregivers
**POWER (TANF) Child-Only Grant** -- grandparent income not counted; not subject to time limits; apply at local DFS. Wyoming exempts all relative caregivers from child support assignment.
**SNAP (Food Assistance)** -- apply through local DFS offices. The grandchildren's presence increases your household food benefit.
**Medicaid / Kid Care CHIP** -- children in kinship care generally eligible based on income. Apply through local DFS or Wyoming Department of Health. Covers doctor visits, dental, prescriptions, mental health services, emergency care, and vision.
**Child Care Subsidy Program** -- helps families pay for child care when working, in school, or in training; income-based; administered by DFS; contact your local DFS office.
**Guardianship Assistance** -- Wyoming has guardianship assistance payments for relative caregivers who choose guardianship for children exiting the child welfare system. Contact your local DFS office.
**Area Agency on Aging Programs (Age 55+)** -- Wyoming's aging programs specifically assist caregivers age 55 and older raising relatives under 18 (or under 54 with a disability). Services that may be available:
- Assistance obtaining temporary guardianship
- Monthly support meetings with dinner and a local speaker
- Respite
- Case management and referrals
- Trainings
- Supplemental services: PERS (Personal Emergency Response System), snow removal, lawn care, meals, small home repairs
These supplemental services -- snow removal, lawn care, meals, small home repairs -- reflect what Wyoming grandparents actually need when they are 65 and raising grandchildren in a state with severe winters and limited local services. Contact your local Area Agency on Aging or dial 2-1-1.
**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. Your grandchild may also qualify for Social Security benefits based on your own work record.
Legal Authority: What It Is and How to Get It in Wyoming
**Power of Attorney**
A notarized parental POA from the incarcerated parent gives you authority for school enrollment and medical care. WDOC facilities have notary services -- contact the facility case manager.
**Guardianship (Wyoming District Court)**
Guardianship through Wyoming district court gives you formal legal decision-making authority for the child. Parental rights are not terminated. KCO navigators have helped numerous Wyoming grandparents accomplish guardianship -- ask them for guidance and legal referrals.
Wyoming Legal Services (wyolegal.org) provides free civil legal help to income-eligible Wyoming residents.
**Adoption**
Adoption permanently terminates the biological parent's parental rights. Contact your local DFS for adoption assistance information.
Wyoming's Tribal Context: The Wind River Reservation
Wyoming has two federally recognized tribes, both on the **Wind River Reservation** in Fremont County (central Wyoming, near Lander and Riverton):
- **Eastern Shoshone Tribe**
- TANF office, Fort Washakie: **(307) 332-8053**
- Address: PO Box 121, 104 Washakie Street, Fort Washakie, WY 82514
- Foster Care Coordinator listed with Wyoming DFS
- **Northern Arapaho Tribe**
- Separate tribal council on the same reservation
- Fort Washakie, Fremont County
- Contact Northern Arapaho social services through the tribe directly
**Wyoming DFS relationship with the tribes**: DFS contracts with both tribes on a biennial basis. The Wyoming Legislature's Select Committee on Tribal Relations is comprised of House and Senate members who work closely with both Tribal Councils on issues affecting Wyoming citizens living on and off the Wind River Reservation.
**The Wind River Reservation** covers approximately 2.2 million acres in central Wyoming -- it is the only reservation in Wyoming. Families on or near the reservation should contact their tribe's own TANF office and social services first.
**ICWA (Indian Child Welfare Act)** applies when child welfare proceedings involve children who are enrolled members or eligible for enrollment in a federally recognized tribe. If the grandchildren are enrolled Eastern Shoshone or Northern Arapaho members, ICWA governs the proceedings. Contact your tribe's child welfare services.
The Wind River Reservation has been significantly affected by the opioid and methamphetamine crises. The kinship care numbers on the reservation are elevated. KCO and tribal social services are both working with these families.
The School Question
With a POA, guardianship, or legal custody, school enrollment in Wyoming is straightforward.
Without legal authority: use the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Wyoming 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.
KCO navigators specifically assist with school enrollment and can accompany you to IEP meetings. For rural Wyoming families where the school district may be skeptical: a KCO navigator can be your advocate in that room.
For children with IEPs: you will need legal authority or signed parental authorization from the incarcerated parent to participate in planning meetings. WDOC 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 WDOC notary services. Contact the facility case manager.
Apply for Medicaid or Kid Care CHIP for the grandchildren through local DFS or the Wyoming Department of Health. Medicaid enrollment does not require legal custody.
Wyoming's Geographic Reality
Wyoming is enormous and almost empty. Cheyenne (Laramie County, southeastern) and Casper (Natrona County, central) are the two largest population centers. The rest of the state is spread thin: Laramie, Rock Springs, Gillette, Sheridan, Lander, Jackson -- each an hour or more from the next significant town.
WDOC facilities: Wyoming State Penitentiary (Rawlins, Carbon County, south-central Wyoming), Wyoming Women's Center (Lusk, Niobrara County, northeastern Wyoming), Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution (Torrington, Goshen County, southeastern Wyoming). For a Lander family visiting the Wyoming State Penitentiary in Rawlins: about 1.5 hours south. For a Gillette family visiting the Wyoming Women's Center in Lusk: about 2 hours south.
WDOC phone calls go through ICS Corrections / GTL. You control which numbers are approved. In a state where your grandchild's parent may be 3 hours away, phone calls are often the only realistic regular contact.
The age 55+ program's supplemental services -- snow removal, lawn care, small home repairs -- are practical in a way that reflects the reality of rural Wyoming winters. A 67-year-old grandmother with two grandchildren in Pinedale does not just need a benefits card. She needs someone to help shovel after the February blizzard.
KCO's navigator model was built for this geography. When you need help and the DFS office is 90 minutes away, KCO can work by phone, virtually, and through outreach.
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.
Wyoming's drug crisis -- opioids and methamphetamine across rural communities and on the Wind River Reservation -- put grandparents in this situation at rates that this small state's support infrastructure was not built to handle. The word spread through extended families, through churches, through neighbors, through whoever was closest when the parents could no longer be there.
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.
The KCO navigators know what you are carrying. The monthly support meetings -- with dinner, with a local speaker, for caregivers age 55 and older -- exist because someone understood that you need a place to put it down for two hours in a room with other people who are doing the same thing.
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.
WDOC phone calls go through ICS Corrections / GTL. You control which numbers are approved. The grandchildren's relationship with their incarcerated parent is theirs.
Medicaid covers mental health services for children. If the grandchildren are struggling, ask the school counselor for a referral or the child's 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 KCO monthly support meetings, a therapist, a pastor, a trusted person -- any of these is better than holding it alone.
What to Do First: A Practical Checklist
Contact Kinship Connections of Wyoming: kcowyo.org. Your first call for navigation, referrals, school help, legal guidance, and emotional support.
Dial 2-1-1 or call 1-888-425-7138 (Wyoming 211) for statewide resource referrals.
Apply for POWER (TANF) child-only, SNAP, and Medicaid/Kid Care CHIP at your local DFS office: dfs.wyo.gov, 307-777-7564 or 800-457-3659.
Get a notarized POA from the incarcerated parent through WDOC notary services. Contact the facility case manager.
If you are age 55+: ask your local Area Agency on Aging about the grandparent caregiver program -- monthly meetings, respite, supplemental services including snow removal and meals.
Start the guardianship process through Wyoming district court. Contact Wyoming Legal Services (wyolegal.org) for free civil legal help. KCO navigators can help with the process.
If grandchildren are enrolled tribal members: contact your tribe's TANF office and social services. Eastern Shoshone TANF (Fort Washakie): (307) 332-8053.
Enroll grandchildren in school. Use the POA. Ask KCO to accompany you or advocate if needed. Use McKinney-Vento if you have no legal authority.
Take care of yourself. The KCO support meetings and Wyoming's aging programs are there. In Wyoming, people show up for their neighbors. You are not alone.
FAQ
**What is Wyoming's TANF program called?** POWER (Personal Opportunities With Employment Responsibilities). The child-only grant for relative caregivers does not count the grandparent's income and is not subject to time limits. Apply through your local DFS office: dfs.wyo.gov, 307-777-7564 or 800-457-3659.
**Does Wyoming require grandparents to assign child support to receive TANF?** No. Wyoming is one of only two states (with Massachusetts) that exempts all relative caregivers from the child support assignment requirement. You are not required to assign child support rights to the state as a condition of receiving TANF child-only benefits.
**What is Kinship Connections of Wyoming?** A free statewide kinship support organization (kcowyo.org) partnered with Wyoming 211. Provides navigation, referrals, case management, emotional support, school enrollment help (including IEP meetings), legal referrals, and educational resources for grandparents and relative caregivers raising children in Wyoming.
**How do I reach Wyoming 211?** Dial 2-1-1 from any phone, call 1-888-425-7138, or text your zip code to 898211. Community Resource Specialists connect you to local services.
**Are there special programs for grandparents age 55+ in Wyoming?** Yes. Wyoming's aging services support caregivers age 55+ raising relatives under 18 (or under 54 with a disability). Services include assistance obtaining temporary guardianship, monthly support meetings with dinner and a local speaker, respite, case management, referrals, and supplemental services including PERS (personal emergency response), snow removal, lawn care, meals, and small home repairs. Contact your local Area Agency on Aging or dial 2-1-1.
**What is the tribal situation on the Wind River Reservation?** Wyoming has two federally recognized tribes -- the Eastern Shoshone Tribe and the Northern Arapaho Tribe -- both on the Wind River Reservation in Fremont County. Both have their own TANF programs administered from Fort Washakie. Eastern Shoshone TANF: (307) 332-8053. ICWA applies for enrolled tribal children in child welfare proceedings.
**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, WDOC phone calls through ICS Corrections/GTL. Wyoming 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: Wyoming inmate search, send money, Wyoming reentry resources, Staying Connected hub, how prison works hub. SOURCING: kcowyo.org (Kinship Connections of Wyoming free service grandparents relatives other caregivers raising children not their own; referral emotional support case management outreach; navigator services link grandparents relative caregivers broad range services supports; educational training resources; blog newsletter upcoming events important topics); kcowyo.org/services/ (difficulty enroll children school authorize activities without legal guardianship; information advocate special education programs; more active role general education; collaboration state local education agencies kinship navigators assist navigating educational system; navigators accompany caregivers school meetings including IEP meetings; connect families academic resources tutoring GED credit recovery college prep educational summer programs); wyoming211.org (Kinship Connections of Wyoming free information referral advocacy program kinship caregivers Wyoming; 1-888-425-7138 or dial 2-1-1 text zip code 898211 Community Resource Specialist; connects people to help builds community resilience advocates breaking cycles of need; partners community-based organizations state local government businesses); dfs.wyo.gov (DFS Department Family Services promotes safety well-being self-sufficiency families community partnerships; local DFS offices SNAP child support enforcement Medicaid child care assistance other needed services; main 307-777-7564 toll free 800-457-3659 email dfs-directorsoffice@wyo.gov; find local offices; DFS Ombudsman Clint Hanes clint.hanes1@wyo.gov 307-777-6597); dfs.wyo.gov/providers/tribal-services/ (Wyoming DFS grateful continued relationship Eastern Shoshone Tribe Northern Arapaho Tribe working together improving services outcomes; DFS contracts each tribe biennial basis tribes required provide expenditure reports; DFS works closely Select Committee on Tribal Relations appointed Wyoming Legislature comprised members House and Senate address issues Wyoming citizens living on off Wind River Reservation committee members work closely honor unique government relationship each Tribal Council; 307-777-7564 toll free 800-457-3659); dfs.wyo.gov/about/contact-us/eastern-shoshone/ (TANF PO Box 121 104 Washakie Street Ft. Washakie WY 82514 307-332-8053; PO Box 945 104 Washakie St Fort Washakie Wyoming 82514 307-332-6591; Foster Care Coordinator Gina Jarvis); dfs.wyo.gov/assistance-programs/resources/ (Medicaid Kid Care CHIP Wyoming Department of Health; Wyoming 2-1-1 Directory Community Resources; Department Workforce Services; Social Security; Wyoming Children's Justice Project Free Resources Youth Parents Foster Parents Attorneys; 1-800-SUICIDE 1-800-784-2433; 988 Wyoming Lifeline; Fremont County Circles Building Community End Poverty); dfs.wyo.gov/services/family-services/child-care/ (Child Care Subsidy Program helps low-income families pay cost care parent searching employment working school training; income-based; DFS administers; ECARES launch August 4 2025; CCDF Plan 2025-2027); dfs.wyo.gov Child Care Subsidy Policy Manual September 2025 (Caretaker adult court order giving legal responsibilities guardianship exercising care control child; foster parents; POWER Personal Opportunities With Employment Responsibilities; SNAP); gksnetwork.org strategies TANF June 2025 (Massachusetts and Wyoming exempt all relative caregivers child support assignment requirements; this is the "good cause" exemption for relative caregivers not requiring child support assignment state); grandfamilies.org WY 2021 (caregivers age 55+ raise relatives under 18 or under 54 disability; services assistance obtaining temporary guardianship monthly support meetings with dinner local speaker respite; case management referrals respite trainings supplemental services PERS personal emergency services snow removal lawn care meals small home repairs; guardianship assistance payments available relative caregivers choosing guardianship children exiting child welfare; TANF child-only grandparents caregiver income not considered based solely income child not subject time limits); WDOC ICS Corrections GTL phone; WDOC notary services; dfs.wyo.gov; kcowyo.org; wyoming211.org; 2-1-1 Wyoming; 1-888-425-7138 Wyoming 211; 307-777-7564 DFS; 800-457-3659 DFS toll free; 307-332-8053 Eastern Shoshone TANF Fort Washakie; wyolegal.org Wyoming Legal Services; McKinney-Vento school enrollment; Social Security 1-800-772-1213. NOTE for Poorwa: verify POWER still Wyoming TANF program name (DFS Child Care Subsidy Manual September 2025 confirms POWER -- current); verify TANF child-only grandparent income not counted Wyoming still current; verify Wyoming exempts relative caregivers from child support assignment still current (from GKS Network June 2025 -- still current); verify kcowyo.org Kinship Connections of Wyoming still operating; verify Wyoming 211 1-888-425-7138 still current wyoming211.org; verify DFS main 307-777-7564 800-457-3659 still current; verify Eastern Shoshone TANF 307-332-8053 Fort Washakie still current; verify Medicaid Kid Care CHIP children Wyoming still applies; verify guardianship assistance payments Wyoming still current -- verify through DFS; verify age 55+ program services (temporary guardianship snow removal lawn care meals PERS) still available through Area Agency on Aging Wyoming; verify wyolegal.org Wyoming Legal Services current; verify WDOC ICS Corrections GTL phone provider; verify McKinney-Vento still applicable; verify Wyoming Women's Center Lusk still operating and Wyoming State Penitentiary Rawlins still operating; verify Wind River Reservation Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho only two Wyoming federally recognized tribes; len/character check before publish.]