18.2  Kinship Care

The Department of Children and Families contracts with local social/human services agencies to administer the Kinship Care program. The Kinship Care program provides monthly payments to relatives (e.g. grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.) who care for a minor relative child. Kinship Care is an alternative to placing these children in a foster home or other type of out-of-home placement.

Kinship Care can be either court-ordered, as an alternative to a foster care placement, or be voluntary based on the circumstances of individual families.

Kinship Care children whose placement is court-ordered are categorically eligible for:

• Medicaid;

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); and

•  Free School Lunch Program.

The income and assets of the relative who cares for the Kinship Care child are not considered in the Kinship Care eligibility determination. Relatives receiving Kinship Care payments have no work requirements from the Kinship Care program. W-2Wisconsin Works agencies may refer a relative who potentially can care for a Kinship Care child to the appropriate local county or tribal social/human services agency. 

For additional information about the Kinship Care program, including current payment amounts, see the Kinship Care webpage at: http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/kinship/.

History: Release 24-13; Release 24-10; Release 22-11.