Grandparents Raising
Grandchildren (GRG)
An Individual Training Course for
the GRG Program
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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (GRG)
Georgia has a growing population of grandparents
who, for a variety of reasons, are assuming the role
of caretaker for their grandchildren.
DFCS believes that when parents are unable to care
for their children, it is preferable for their children
to live with suitable family members rather than be
placed with strangers.
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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (GRG)
Grandparents are often at a time in their
lives when their incomes are no longer
growing. In fact, their income may be barely
enough for them to get by.
So, when grandparents take on the
unexpected responsibility of raising a child,
a personal financial crisis may ensue.
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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (GRG)
In order to assist the growing population of
grandparents who are raising their own
grandchildren, DFCS, the Division of Aging
Services (DAS) and the Office of Child Support
Services (OCSS) are collaborating and exploring
ways in we can help strengthen families headed by
grandparents.
As a result, a number of enhanced services will
now be made available to grandparents who are
raising their grandchildren.
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DAS and Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Grandparents can call Local Area Agencies on Aging
(AAAs) throughout the state to find out about
services that are available through DAS and partner
agencies.
In the Atlanta Metro area, specialized workers,
called Navigators, will be available to help
grandparents access DAS services.
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OCSS and Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
OCSS will give priority status to referrals for cases
involving grandparents raising their grandchildren.
For cases in which the absent parent is currently
paying child support, OCSS will immediately redirect
those payments to the grandparent.
For cases in which neither absent parent is paying
child support, OCSS will work closely with the
grandparent in order to obtain an order of child
support as soon as possible.
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DFCS and Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
As part of our ongoing efforts to maintain and
strengthen families, DFCS will provide direct support
needed by grandparents who are raising their
grandchildren.
This support will include both cash assistance
payments, paid through the Office of Family
Independence (OFI), and specialized child care
services provided through the Childcare and Parents
Services (CAPS) program.
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There will be multiple points of entry into a seamless system of services
we will provide to grandparents raising their grandchildren.
Point Of Entry
Office of Child
Support Services
(OCSS)
Identification of Needs
Referral Agencies
OCSS
Child Support
Medical Support
August 1, 2006
August 1, 2006
GRANDPARENT
Division of Family
and
Children Services
(DFCS)
GRANDPARENT
August 1, 2006
Division of
Aging Services
(DAS)
August 1, 2006
DFCS
TANF, FS,
Child Care,
Energy
Assistance, etc.
August 1, 2006
DAS
Kinship Care,
Support Groups,
Legal Advice, etc.
August 1, 2006
GRANDPARENT
Division of
Mental Health
(DMH)
April 2007
Division of
Mental Health
(DMH)
February 2007
GRANDPARENT
Division of
Public Health
(DPH)
February 2007
GRANDPARENT
Division of
Public Health
(DPH)
February 2007
GRG Cash Assistance – Who’s Eligible?
To be eligible for GRG cash assistance, the following criteria
must be met:
 the grandparent is the caretaker of his/her own grandchild
 the grandparent is 60 years of age and older, or
 the grandparent is disabled,
 the household is not participating in an existing foster care
program nor receiving foster care per diems,
 the household’s income is less than 160% of the federal
poverty level (FPL), and
 the AU applies for and receives TANF for the grandchild.
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How is a household defined? Whose income is counted?
For the purpose of determining financial eligibility,
“household” is defined as including the grandparent, the
grandparent’s spouse and the grandchild for whom
assistance is requested.
It is only income of household members, as defined in
the paragraph above, that counts toward the income
limit.
Income that belongs to other persons living in the home
is NOT counted for the purpose of determining eligibility
for GRG cash assistance payments.
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How can we know if a grandparent is disabled?
In order to receive GRG assistance, a grandparent who is
less than 60 years old must be disabled.
If the grandparent receives either SSI or RSDI disability
payments, we consider him to be disabled for GRG
purposes.
An award letter from the Social Security Administration
is required for verification.
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What kind of cash assistance is available?
Two types of GRG cash assistance are available:

GRG Emergency/Crisis Intervention Services
Payment (CRISP), and

GRG Monthly Subsidy Payment (MSP).
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What is the CRISP?
The GRG Crisis Intervention Services Payment
(CRISP) is a one-time only cash payment equal to up
to 3 times the maximum TANF cash assistance grant
amount for that AU size.
The CRISP may be received more than once if a
grandchild moves into the home of a grandparent who
has previously received a CRISP for another
grandchild, and if the AU is otherwise eligible for the
CRISP.
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What is the CRISP? (cont.)
The CRISP provides cash assistance to
grandparents who need help in paying the
cost of emergency expenses, such as
unanticipated and sudden increases in
shelter or utility costs, or new expenses
incurred to pay for school supplies, furniture
or even the legal expenses associated with
gaining formal custody of a child.
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How do we define an emergency?
If the grandparent who is applying for assistance
believes that her household is experiencing an
emergency, and she meets the other GRG
eligibility criteria, then she may receive the GRG
CRISP.
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How can we know if an emergency exists?
To verify that an emergency exists, merely accept your
client’s statement unless you have reason to question
what your client claims.
If questionable, you may use one of the following sources
of verification:
1. lease agreement
2. utility bills/cut off notices
3. legal fees associated with the process of gaining
custody of the grandchild.
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How do we verify the amount of an emergency expense?
We can accept the client’s statement about
whether an emergency exists, but we must verify
the actual cost of eliminating the identified
emergency.
Verify an expense that the grandparent has
already paid with a receipt. Verify an anticipated
expense, e.g., for a new bed, by a statement from
a retailer. The item to be purchased, and the
dollar amount, must be specified.
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How do we compute the amount of a CRISP?
The CRISP is paid in increments of the maximum TANF grant
amount for one month, two months or three months, depending
on what you have verified the dollar amount of the emergency
expense to be.
For example, if an AU is eligible for the CRISP, the AU verifies
an emergency expense of $300, and the maximum TANF grant
amount for the AU size is $235, the AU will be eligible to
receive a CRISP of $470.
This amount is equivalent to the maximum TANF grant amount
for two months, which would be paid to the AU because the
maximum grant amount for one month is less than the verified
emergency expense.
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Can a grandparent apply for the CRISP at any time?
The CRISP is intended to help alleviate a crisis
or emergency, not to pay for a family’s ongoing
needs.
However, an emergency can occur at any time,
so the grandparent can come to us at any time
and apply for the CRISP.
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For what should the CRISP be used?
Although the purpose of the CRISP is to help
an eligible AU pay for expenses incurred as a
direct result of a grandchild moving into the
home, it is not our responsibility to monitor
how the CRISP money is spent.
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For what should the CRISP be used? (cont.)
Examples of emergency needs may include
 a rent deposit because the grandparent must move
into a larger apartment
 a utilities deposit because of the need to move into a
larger apartment
 a one-time rent and/or utility assistance for a family
at immediate risk of eviction or shut off of utilities
 incurring other unanticipated expenses, such as the
purchase of furniture or school supplies.
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Paying the CRISP should be the last, not the first option
If an AU meets the eligibility criteria for receipt of
the CRISP, but its emergency can be resolved using
assistance from other sources, the grandparent must
seek assistance from those other sources.
Only when there has been an attempt to access all
other potential sources of assistance can the CRISP
be approved.
There can be no duplication of cash assistance or
other services provided to the AU.
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What is the MSP?
The GRG Monthly Subsidy Payment (MSP) is a cash
payment of $50.00 per child, per month.
The payment is ongoing, and eligibility for this payment
does not require that an emergency expense has been
incurred.
However, in order to receive the MSP, the grandparent
must receive TANF cash assistance for her grandchild.
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Requirements for receipt of the MSP
In order to qualify for a GRG MSP, a grandparent
must meet the basic GRG eligibility criteria (refer
back to the 9th slide).
In addition, the grandparent must receive TANF cash
assistance for the grandchild for whom the GRG MSP
is requested. The grandparent cannot be included in
the TANF AU, even if she may be potentially eligible
to receive TANF.
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Guidelines for Using MSP
The basic needs for which GRG MSP may be used may include:
 shelter expenses (e.g., rent, mortgage and utilities)
 child care expenses
 clothing
 bedding, furniture or other supplies needed in order for the
grandchild to move in
 legal expenses directly related to the grandparent’s efforts to
gain custody of the grandchild
 other miscellaneous costs associated with the grandparent
gaining custody of the grandchild.
DFCS will not monitor how GRG cash assistance is spent.
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Can an AU receive the CRISP and the MSP?
Some AUs may qualify for both the CRISP and
the MSP.
If an AU is eligible for both forms of cash
assistance, it can receive them simultaneously.
Of course the CRISP, intended to resolve an
emergency, is a one-time-only payment, while
the MSP is paid on an ongoing basis.
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What happens if the grandchild moves out?
If the grandchild leaves the custody of the grandparent who is
receiving GRG cash payments, the eligible grandparent must
notify DFCS within 10 days of the departure from the home of
the grandchild.
A failure to report the departure of the grandchild within 10
days may result in an overpayment. The grandparent will
have to repay the GRG MSP (and any TANF or FS
overpayment) if an extra payment is received as a
consequence of not reporting the child’s departure within 10
days.
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GRG Relationship Requirements
A child must be living in the home with a grandparent
who receives the GRG cash assistance on the child’s
behalf. Relationship is established by one of the
following:
1. birth
2. ceremonial or common-law marriage
3. legal adoption, or
4. legal guardianship.
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GRG Relationship Requirements (cont.)
The following relationships also meet the relationship
requirement:
 grandparent (up to great-great-great)
 spouse of a grandparent even if the marriage was
terminated by death or divorce, unless the
grandchild was born after the termination of the
marriage.
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GRG Relationship Requirements (cont.)
The relationship of the child to the grandparent is
traced by recording the names and relationships of all
direct and intermediate relatives.
Paternity must be established if the application is made
by the paternal grandparent. If you need to do this in
order to determine eligibility for GRG payments, follow
TANF policy for establishing paternity.
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Verifying Relationship
Verification of relationship may not be available if the child lives
with parent of the putative father and the putative father's
whereabouts are unknown.
You will need to make a decision based on all available
information regarding the child's relationship to the grandparent
who applies for assistance. Document the case record
thoroughly.
If the relationship of the child’s grandparent to the child’s father
is questionable, verification of the relationship can be obtained
using a variety of documents.
Please refer to Section 1210 of the TANF policy manual for
additional information.
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How is GRG cash assistance counted in
the TANF budget?
GRG cash assistance, whether it is a CRISP or an
MSP, is not counted in the TANF budget.
GRG cash assistance is paid to an eligible AU in
addition to, not instead of, any TANF cash
assistance for which the AU may be eligible.
32
How is GRG cash assistance counted in
a Medicaid budget?
GRG cash assistance, whether it is a CRISP or an
MSP, is disregarded in Medicaid budgets.
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How is GRG cash assistance counted in
a FS budget?
The GRG CRISP is treated as a resource in a FS
case. Remember that the resources of a TANF AU
are disregarded for FS purposes.
The GRG MSP is counted as unearned income in the
FS budget.
Be sure the AU knows that receipt of the GRG MSP
could cause its FS benefits to decrease.
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How to process an application for GRG cash assistance
1.
If an application is made for the GRG MSP, first process
a TANF application.
2. Complete form 354 (required for Form 351).
3. Complete Form 351, the GRG worksheet, in order to
establish the AU’s eligibility for the GRG CRISP and/or
MSP.
4.
Document your findings in the case record and on
SUCCESS.
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How to process an application for
GRG cash assistance (cont.)
5. Complete Form 281 in order to issue either the CRISP or
MSP. The original copy of the completed form is sent to
Fiscal Services, which will issue the payment.
6. Complete Form 282 in order to notify the AU of 1) its
approval for receipt of GRG cash assistance, 2) the
denial of its application, or 3) the termination of the
MSP.
7. Complete Form 713G as needed in order to make
referrals and share information with other staff who
are responsible for providing other services and/or
assistance to the family.
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GRG forms
Form 281 (payment authorization form):
http://www.odis.dhr.state.ga.us/3000_fam/3390_tanf/CHAPTERS/For
ms%20-%20Masters/Form%20281%20-%20MT%2013-%20082006.doc
Form 282 (disposition notification form):
http://www.odis.dhr.state.ga.us/3000_fam/3390_tanf/CHAPTERS/For
ms%20-%20Masters/Form%20282%20-MT%2013-%2008-2006.doc
Form 351 (GRG worksheet):
http://www.odis.dhr.state.ga.us/3000_fam/3390_tanf/CHAPTERS/For
ms%20-%20Masters/Form%20351-%20MT%2013-08-2006.doc
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Policy References
For additional information and the latest policy
updates, please check the following link:
http://www.odis.dhr.state.ga.us/3000_fam/3390_
tanf/TANF.htm
Select MAN 3390 and go to Section 1210.
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Thank you for your efforts in helping
Georgia’s families to be strong and healthy!