Our Work: Two Proof-of-Concept Pilots

Grandfamilies Alliance is launching two geographically distinct demonstration pilots in 2026, each addressing a different dimension of grandfamily need — and together creating a comprehensive national model.

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🗽 Pilot 1 — New York (The Bronx): Kinship Income & Policy

The Bronx is one of the highest-need kinship care communities in the United States. Thousands of grandparents there assume informal caregiving to prevent children from entering foster care — yet receive only limited public benefits and no family preservation payments.

What We Will Test

The New York Pilot will test a family preservation payment model providing kinship caregivers with monthly payments comparable to foster care maintenance stipends — without requiring foster care placement.

Core Components

• Monthly family preservation payments to stabilize low-income kinship households
• Legal and benefits navigation — helping families access KinGAP, guardianship pathways, and public benefits
• Education support for children with disrupted schooling
• Health, mental health, and trauma-informed services
• Peer support networks reducing caregiver isolation
• Policy advocacy to expand KinGAP eligibility and remove administrative barriers

The pilot will generate rigorous data, a policy report, and a replication guide for other states.

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🌉 Pilot 2 — California (East Bay: Richmond/Oakland): Grandfamilies Village

There is almost no housing in the United States purpose-built for grandfamilies. The Grandparent Family Apartments in the Bronx — opened in 2005 — remains the only such building in New York City after two decades. The California Pilot aims to change that.

The Grandfamilies Village

A first-of-its-kind intergenerational housing development in the East Bay, designed around the specific spatial and functional needs of kinship families:

• Family-sized, multi-level units (2–4 bedrooms) structured as townhomes or stacked flats — not tiny homes
• Grandparent living space on lower level for accessibility; children’s rooms above with sound separation
• Full kitchens, outdoor play space, and a shared courtyard village layout
• On-site services building hosting legal, health, mental health, childcare, and education programs
• Community kitchen, cultural programming, and an Elders Circle / community council

Modular / container construction will reduce per-unit costs by approximately 50% compared to conventional construction — making this a financially replicable model for other cities.

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Three Strategic Pillars