Family, Children & Caregiving · Surprise rank #135
Raising Someone Else's Child? NY Child-Only Cash Assistance Doesn't Count Your Income Against the Child's Grant
A non-parent caregiver in New York can apply for Temporary Assistance only for the child in their care, creating a child-only cash grant based on the child's finances rather than the caregiver's.
Who
Non-parent caregivers caring for a child who may qualify for Temporary Assistance.
What to do
Start here: Apply through the local social services district or NYC HRA and clearly ask for a non-parent caregiver/child-only Temporary Assistance case.
Eligibility: OTDA states that the caregiver's income and resources are not counted against the child's grant unless the caregiver also applies for themselves, and even then they do not count against the child-only grant.
What you get
A Temporary Assistance cash grant can be issued for the child without treating the non-parent caregiver's income and resources as the child's eligibility income.
Benefit: A monthly child-only cash-assistance grant based on the applying child's income and resources.
Possible value: Varies by household, child income/resources and local Temporary Assistance budgeting.
Good to know
Important: The application still asks for household information. Child-support cooperation rules can apply, although good-cause protections may be available when pursuing support would threaten health or safety.
Availability: Active
Why people miss it: Grandparents and other caregivers often assume their own income automatically makes the child ineligible.
Sources reviewed: Aug 10, 2026