TANF

• The federally funded, state-run Temporary Aid for Needy Families program offers a variety of financial assistance, including food stamps, medical coverage and grant money. The grant amounts are set by state governments; there are grants to help both you and your grandchild and some that cover just the child's needs. If you personally request grant money, you may have to go to work after a couple of years; with child-only grants, that's not a requirement.
  
  

State Programs

• Some states run their own grant programs to help grandparents. Connecticut's Children's Trust Fund, for instance, provides one-time grants of $50 to $250 per child for purchases such as a bed or a coat, or special activities such as tutoring or summer camp. Illinois used a grant from the Brookdale Foundation to start its Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Program, which provides financial and technical assistance to grandparent support groups, and information and referral assistance to grandparents.
  
  

Private Groups

• Grants 4 Grands is a program specifically focused on providing small grants to help grandparents cope with the financial burden of their grandkids. Another charitable group, the Grandparents Association, doesn't provide grants itself, but will work with grandparents in need to find grants they can qualify for. Chicago's African American Legacy issues grants of up to $25,000 to organizations that provide services to strengthen black families, including families where grandparents are raising the grandchildren.
  
  

Other Resources

• Financial assistance comes in forms other than grants or food stamps. Illinois' Family Caregiver Support Program, for example, helps grandparent caregivers gain access to services for which they qualify. It also provides respite care to give grandparents a break from child-raising, and supplemental, short-term assistance for school supplies, transportation or child-proofing a home. In Connecticut, grandparents who qualify as guardians for their grandchildren receive a monthly stipend equivalent to what they'd receive as foster parents.