Kinship Care in New Hampshire: What Relatives Need to Know
Most grandparents, aunts, uncles, and close family friends who take in a relative's child do so because something happened — a parent's overdose, an arrest, a mental health crisis, a call from DCYF asking whether you can take the kids tonight. The decision to say yes is almost never the result of months of careful planning. It is a sudden, protective act driven by love for the child and the hope that keeping them in the family is better than the alternative.
What follows that decision is where things get complicated. New Hampshire's kinship care system has real financial supports and legal protections for relatives who navigate it correctly — but it also has significant gaps for those who don't know what to ask for.
New Hampshire's Priority on Kinship Placement
Under RSA 169-C:19-h, New Hampshire law establishes a clear order of preference for out-of-home placements. When a child cannot safely stay with their parents, the court first looks to adult relatives or "kin" before considering licensed non-relative foster homes. This placement preference reflects the research consensus that children do better when they can maintain family connections during the disruption of foster care.
DCYF defines kinship care broadly. It includes biological relatives — grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins — as well as "fictive kin": people who have a significant, ongoing relationship with the child even without a biological connection, such as a neighbor the family has known for years, a godparent, or a close family friend.
The Licensing Question: Do Relatives Have to Get Licensed?
This is where many kinship families are given incomplete information. The short answer is that licensing is not legally required for relatives who take emergency placements — but not getting licensed has significant financial consequences.
Unlicensed Kinship Placement
If a relative takes a child into care without pursuing a foster care license, they may apply for a child-only TANF grant through the NH Division of Family Assistance. This grant is designed to cover the child's basic needs, but the benefit level is substantially lower than the foster care maintenance rate. The child also remains on NH Medicaid regardless of the caregiver's licensing status.
Unlicensed relatives may also execute a Relative Caregiver Agreement (Form 2273), which formalizes the arrangement with DCYF without requiring full licensure.
Licensed Kinship Placement
Relatives who complete the full foster care licensing process — including background checks, PRIDE training (or an approved waiver), and the home study — qualify for the same daily maintenance rates as any other licensed foster parent:
| Care Type | Ages 0-5 | Ages 6-11 | Ages 12-17 |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Care | $34.28/day | $38.51/day | $40.78/day |
For a 10-year-old child, that is roughly $1,155 per month — compared to a child-only TANF grant that may cover a fraction of that. The financial difference over a year of placement is thousands of dollars. For grandparents or relatives on fixed incomes, this is not a trivial distinction.
Licensed kinship parents also gain the same rights as other foster parents: participation in court hearings, DCYF team meetings, and permanency decisions. Unlicensed caregivers have a much weaker voice in what happens to the child.
The Licensing Waiver Process
New Hampshire recognizes that requiring kinship caregivers to complete the full licensing process — including 23 hours of PRIDE training — can be a barrier, especially when a child has just been placed and the relative is already stretched thin managing work, their own household, and a child who may be in crisis.
Relatives can request waivers for non-safety-related licensing requirements. The most common waiver request is for portions of the PRIDE pre-service training. Waivers are reviewed and must be approved by the DCYF Director. Safety-related requirements — background checks, home inspections, medical clearances — cannot be waived, regardless of the family relationship.
The practical effect: kinship families can often move more quickly toward licensure than non-relative applicants, particularly if their home already meets physical safety standards and the background checks come back clean. If a waiver is approved, the training burden is reduced without compromising the safety standards that protect the child.
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What Grandparents Specifically Need to Know
Grandparents are the largest single group of kinship caregivers in New Hampshire. Many are on fixed incomes — Social Security, pension, or partial employment — and the financial sustainability of caring for a grandchild full-time is a real concern.
Key points for grandparents:
Your income doesn't disqualify you. New Hampshire's licensing eligibility uses a "financial sufficiency" test, not a minimum dollar amount. The question is whether you can meet your current household expenses before accounting for the foster care maintenance stipend. Many grandparents on Social Security meet this standard.
The foster care stipend is separate from your other income. Foster care maintenance payments are generally non-taxable. They are specifically designated for the child's care, not counted against Social Security benefits or most means-tested programs.
You can apply for the Family Assistance Program. The NH Division of Family Assistance administers benefits specifically for grandparents and relatives raising grandchildren, including TANF and SNAP for the child's household needs.
DCYF's Kinship Support Program offers a range of services to relative caregivers, including peer support connections, legal consultation, and help navigating the system.
The Practical Steps for Kinship Caregivers
If you've just taken in a relative's child, or if DCYF has asked you to, here is the immediate sequence:
- Contact your local DCYF District Office and identify yourself as a kinship caregiver. Ask specifically about the relative licensing track and the waiver process.
- Request the Relative Caregiver Agreement (Form 2273) if you need to formalize the arrangement quickly while pursuing licensing.
- Begin the background check process immediately — this is the piece that can't be waived or expedited, and it is the rate-limiting step for licensure.
- Ask about PRIDE training waiver eligibility so you know whether you need to complete the full 23 hours or whether a partial waiver is available given your relationship to the child.
- Document everything from day one — the child's medical appointments, behavioral observations, family visits. This documentation belongs to the child and becomes part of the case file.
The New Hampshire Foster Care Licensing Guide includes a dedicated section on the kinship licensing track, including the financial comparison between licensed and unlicensed status, the waiver request process, and the forms specific to relative caregivers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get paid to care for my grandchild in New Hampshire?
Yes, if you complete the foster care licensing process. Licensed kinship caregivers receive the same daily maintenance rates as licensed non-relative foster parents. Unlicensed relatives receive a lower child-only TANF grant. The difference over a year of placement can be several thousand dollars.
Do relatives have to complete PRIDE training?
PRIDE training (or its NH equivalent — the 23-hour pre-service curriculum through CWEP/UNH) is required for licensure. However, relatives can request waivers for non-safety-related requirements, including portions of pre-service training, with DCYF Director approval. Safety-related requirements cannot be waived.
What if I can't pass the home inspection?
Common inspection issues — like a heating system that needs service, an old fire extinguisher, or a pool that needs proper fencing — are fixable. DCYF does not expect perfection; they expect safety. Your Resource Worker can tell you what to address before scheduling inspections.
What rights do kinship caregivers have in court?
Licensed kinship foster parents have the same legal standing as other licensed foster parents: the right to be notified of court hearings and permanency meetings, and the right to have their perspective considered in placement decisions. Under RSA 169-C:19-h, the court also gives preference to the current caregiver if the child becomes legally free for adoption.
What if the parent wants the child back?
New Hampshire's child welfare system is oriented toward reunification when safe. As a kinship caregiver, you are expected to support the child's relationship with their parents, including participating in scheduled family visits ("Family Time"). If reunification is not achievable, the concurrent planning process means that a back-up permanency plan — such as adoption or guardianship — is being developed simultaneously.
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