Relative Custody Assistance Program
Used by permission from Hennepin County Foster Care Program

The Relative Custody Assistance (RCA) state program offers a monthly cash grant to income eligible relatives and kin who take a transfer of legal custody. To apply for RCA, an application must be filed within 30 days of a transfer of legal custody and MFIP (Minnesota Family Investment Plan) must be applied for before payment can begin. The grant amount that the child is eligible for is calculated by adding the Base Assistance Rate (dependent on the child's age) and the Supplemental Assistance Rate (based on the child's Difficulty Of Care - DOC points.) Since the most recent DOC that a child was issued will be used to determine the Supplemental Assistance Rate, make sure that the most accurate DOC is assessed while the child is in foster care. 

Any income that the child receives is counted and will be subtracted from the total grant amount.  Income includes, but is not limited to, the MFIP/TANF received, Supplemental Security Income, Veteran's Benefits, Child Support and Social Security.

The total grant amount minus the child's income is the Net Maximum Assistance Rate.  This is the amount that a child could be eligible to receive from Relative Custody Assistance funds.

The amount you will actually receive is determined by your Annual Gross Family Income.  You can earn up to 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines and still be eligible to receive 100% of the calculated Relative Custody Assistance grant.  The Gross Family Income Percentage is calculated by taking your Gross Annual Income and dividing it by Federal Poverty Guidelines.  That amount is multiplied by 100 to give you the Relative Custody Assistance Percentage.  If this amount is less than or equal to 200%, you will receive the Net Maximum Assistance Rate.

For more information, consult United States Department of Health and Human Services Federal Poverty Guidelines.

These are the general guidelines for determining Relative Custody Assistance.  Circumstances may affect the amount you receive each month.