·State program
Kinship Care Program
The Kinship Care Program provides in-kind assistance for clothing, shelter, health, safety, and educational supplies to non-parent relative caregivers such as grandparents caring for children under 18 during the 180-day transition period, with eligibility requiring family income below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
Questions that decide eligibility
GiveCare prepares the questions; the program makes the decision. Bring these to the call or the application:
- 01
Does the person receiving care live in Delaware?
Residency is usually the first thing a program checks.
- 02
Does your relationship to the person — grandparent or other relative — count for this program?
- 03
What are the current income and asset limits, and whose income counts?
Our record lists 200% of the federal poverty level — limits change, so confirm the current figures.
- 04
Is the person receiving care in the covered age range (null–18)?
- 05
Does the VA disability rating meet the program’s minimum (our record lists null%)?
- 06
Do you need to live with the person receiving care, and how is that verified?
- 07
Do the work hours meet the minimum (our record lists null hours)?
- 08
Is there a caregiver-specific department, coordinator, or support line? Ask for it by name.
Many agencies have one that isn’t advertised on the website.
- 09
What documents do you need from us to start an application?
- 10
Is there a waitlist right now, and how long is it?
Who qualifies, in the source’s words
Where our record has a direct quote from the official source, here it is — otherwise, this is our best reading of the rule.
Income and asset limits
“The caregiver's family income must be less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level.”
dhss.delaware.gov →Age of the person receiving care
“The transitioning children must be under 18 years of age.”
dhss.delaware.gov →Minimum VA disability rating
Minimum VA disability rating: null%.
Living with the person receiving care
“The children's parents cannot live in the caregiver's home.”
dhss.delaware.gov →Work hours
Minimum work hours: null.
Relationship to the person receiving care
“non-parent relative caregivers such as grandparents, aunts or uncles”
dhss.delaware.gov →
How to apply
- 01
Visit a Delaware State Service Center, call 302-255-9040, or email DHSS_DSSC@delaware.gov to speak with a DSS case manager; apply online through the ASSIST self-service portal or complete a paper application