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Know Your Options: Legal & Financial Help for Grandfamilies

An older Asian couple smiling while going over their finances.
An older Asian couple smiling while going over their finances.

If you’re raising a grandchild, figuring out where to turn for help can be confusing. Do you need legal guardianship? Can you make medical decisions or enroll your grandchild in school? Is financial assistance available? The answers depend on your family’s circumstances, but Massachusetts has resources that can help you understand your options and find the support that works for you.

Understanding Your Legal Options

  • Informal care: You’re raising the child without a court order. It’s flexible, but it can limit your ability to enroll the child in school, authorize medical care, or access certain benefits.
  • Power of attorney or caregiver consent affidavit: A lighter-weight, often notarized document that authorizes school and medical decisions without a full custody case. It’s available in most states.
  • Guardianship: A court grants you legal authority over the child’s care while parental rights remain intact. This is the most common path for grandfamilies and typically opens the door to more support services.
  • Kinship foster care or adoption: Involves the formal child welfare system and generally comes with higher financial support but more oversight and requirements.
  • A family law attorney: Many legal aid societies offer free consultations specifically for kinship caregivers. They can help you weigh which path fits your family, since the right answer depends heavily on your state and your specific circumstances.

Financial and Practical Support

  • TAFDC cash assistance: Massachusetts’ Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) program includes assistance for certain relatives caring for children. A grandparent or other relative applying only for a child may be able to receive benefits without the caregiver’s income being counted. Learn more: mass.gov/transactional-aid-to-families-with-dependent-children
  • SNAP: The Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance also administers SNAP food assistance. Eligibility depends on household circumstances, so grandparents raising grandchildren should ask DTA about the benefits available to their family. Learn more: mass.gov/snap
  • MassHealth: Your grandchild may qualify for health coverage through MassHealth, Massachusetts’ Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program. Learn more: mass.gov/masshealth
  • Tax benefits: Depending on your circumstances, raising a grandchild may affect your eligibility for the Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit, head-of-household filing status, and Massachusetts tax benefits. Eligibility rules can be complicated, so consider getting help from a qualified tax preparer or a free tax-preparation program.

Where to Start

Not every grandparent raising a grandchild needs the same kind of help. Start with the issue that needs your attention now:

  • Legal questions: If you have questions about guardianship, custody, or your authority to make decisions for your grandchild, Greater Boston Legal Services provides free civil legal assistance to eligible Boston-area residents. gbls.org | 617-371-1234
  • Food and financial assistance: The Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) can help you understand whether you or your grandchild may qualify for TAFDC cash assistance or SNAP food benefits. mass.gov/dta
  • Health coverage: If your grandchild needs health insurance, MassHealth can help you understand available coverage and eligibility. mass.gov/masshealth
  • School and medical decisions: If you don’t have guardianship, Massachusetts’ Caregiver Authorization Affidavit may allow you to make certain educational and medical decisions for your grandchild without transferring legal custody. mass.gov — search “Caregiver Authorization Affidavit”
  • Tax help: Grandparents raising grandchildren may qualify for federal and Massachusetts tax benefits. The Boston Tax Help Coalition offers free tax preparation for eligible Boston residents. bostontaxhelp.org

Still not sure where to turn? Boston Senior Home Care can help connect you with local resources, referrals, and support based on their individual needs. Contact us at [email protected] to get started.

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