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What is the Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP)?
The Department of Social Services, Office of Family Support implemented Louisiana's Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP) on March 1, 2000. This program is funded by Louisiana's Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Block Grant and was implemented as a result of legislation passed during the 1999 Louisiana State Legislature. KCSP provides cash assistance of $280 per month for each eligible child who resides with a qualified relative other than a parent.
Do I Qualify for KCSP?
A child may meet the eligibility requirements for both the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP) and Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP) but may only receive assistance in one program.
To receive KCSP for a child, the qualified relative must meet all the conditions listed below:
- The child must live in the home of one of the following qualified relatives (either biological or adoptive): grandfather or grandmother (extends to great-great-great), brother or sister (including half), uncle or aunt (extends to great-great), stepfather, stepmother, stepbrother, stepsister, first cousin, including first cousin once removed, and nephew or niece (extends to great-great), or the legal spouse of the above-listed relatives.
- The child must have income of less than $280 per month.
- The child must be under 18 years of age.
- The child must be a resident of Louisiana.
- The child must be a citizen of the United States or a qualified alien.
- The qualified relative must provide proof of immunity or immunization against vaccine-preventable disease for each child under 18 years of age.
- The qualified relative must possess or obtain within one year of certification, either legal custody or guardianship or provisional custody by mandate of the eligible child who is living in the home. Legal custody or guardianship must be granted by a court and verified through court records or other reliable documents. Provisional custody by mandate is a notarized authorization made by the child´s parent or parents to a person of legal age to provide care, custody, and control of a minor child. Certain requirements must be met for the execution of this document. Provisional Custody by Mandate is valid for one year or until ended by the parent.
- The family must have an annual income of less than 150% of the federal poverty threshold, in accordance with the qualified relative's family size. Income from all sources is considered in determination of eligibility. This includes income from Social Security, Veteran’s benefits, Railroad Retirement, wages and any other regular income.
- The qualified relative must assign to the state rights to child support from any other person and cooperate with Support Enforcement Services in obtaining child support for the child unless good cause is established.
- The qualified relative must not have been convicted of or released from incarceration for a felony of possession, use or distribution of a controlled substance within the past year.
- The qualified relative must furnish or apply for a social security number for the child.
- The parent(s) of the child must not live in the home of the qualified relative.
How and Where Do I Apply?
Visit here to locate the parish Office of Family Support in which to apply or mail the completed application for assistance.
In order to apply for KCSP benefits, you, the qualified relative with whom the child resides, may call or visit any OFS Family Assistance parish office to get an application, or you can print the below application form. You must:
- Complete the application form and provide it to any OFS Family Assistance parish office, mail or fax it to your local OFS Family Assistance parish office.
- Be interviewed.
- Answer all questions completely and honestly.
- Provide proof of statements made on the application regarding eligibility. This proof may include a birth or baptismal record to show the child’s age, a copy of the court-awarded custody or guardianship documents or notarial statement, or other documents needed to establish the child’s relationship to the qualified relative.
Downloadable form: The following standard form can be downloaded to a disk and then completed on the user's PC. To download a form, simply select the desired title below, then follow the prompts given by your browser. (On most browsers, you will need to choose the "Save to Disk" option, and then choose the drive and directory you wish to save to.)
Note: The Adobe Acrobat document will be viewable in all formats. To view the Adobe Acrobat document please download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader at: http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html.
This form has been provided as a public service and has been successfully processed on a State computer system. However, we unfortunately cannot guarantee success for all users, due to the wide variety of browsers/platform in use. It is still the responsibility of the user to use this form appropriately and in a manner consistent within these limitations. No actual text of this form may be changed, and doing so may render it null and void. All relevant deadlines still apply.
Visit here to download the application form OFS 4APP(Application for Assistance)
Visit here to download Information About the Application for Assistance
What are My Rights?
As an applicant, you have certain rights. You have a right to:
- Receive an application the same day you ask for it.
- Turn in your application the same day you receive it.
- Receive your benefits (or be notified that you are not eligible for the program) within 30 days after you turn in your application.
- Have a fair hearing if you disagree with any action taken on your case.
If you believe that you have been discriminated against because of age, sex, color, race, handicap, religious creed, national origin, or political beliefs, it is your right to file a complaint either through your local OFS Family Assistance parish office or directly to the State Office of Family Support, or to the Federal Government. If you wish to file such a complaint, you may secure the complaint form from your local Office of Family Support.
How Are My Benefits Issued?
Visit Here to Check the Balance on your Louisiana Purchase Card (EBT Account) at JPMorgan Chase.
Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) is a method of delivering governmental benefits to recipients electronically. Louisiana uses magnetic stripe card technology. The card, which is referred to as the Louisiana Purchase Card enables recipients to access benefits at ATM’s and Point-of-Sale (POS) machines.
Cash benefits are posted to recipient accounts during the first five days of the month. Recipient benefits are accessible by 5:00 a.m. the morning after they are posted. Benefits are posted on the same date every month regardless of the day of the week. Holidays and weekends do not affect the date of benefit availability.
Benefits are secure and accessible only to persons authorized by the recipient. The Personal Identification Number (PIN) is selected by the recipient and must be correctly entered in order to successfully complete all electronic transactions. As purchases or cash withdrawals are made at grocery store checkout lanes and ATM’s, recipient accounts are debited and the recipient is given a receipt which provides the remaining account balance.
Related Links
http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/ - Administration for Children and Families
http://www.aphsa.org/ - American Public Human Services Association
http://www.aecf.org/ - Annie E. Casey Foundation
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/ecfr/index.html - Federal Regulations for TANF |
