Kinship Care in BC: What Relatives Need to Know Before Saying Yes

When a child can't stay with their parents, the first question MCFD asks is whether there's a relative who can step in. Aunts, uncles, grandparents, older siblings, and family friends are often approached before a child is placed with a stranger. It feels like the obvious right thing to say yes. And it often is.

But kinship care in BC comes with its own set of requirements, its own financial structure, and its own emotional terrain — and most relatives are asked to make that decision in a matter of hours, without a clear picture of what they're agreeing to. This guide covers what you need to know before, during, and after that call from MCFD.

What kinship care actually means in BC

Kinship care refers to the full-time care of a child by a relative or close family friend when the child's parents are unable to care for them. In BC, this is typically arranged under the Child, Family and Community Service Act (CFCSA), and it can take several different legal forms depending on the child's situation:

Temporary care agreements: A short-term arrangement (usually under 30 days initially) while MCFD assesses the situation. The parent retains guardianship.

Continuing custody orders: The Director of Child Protection has legal custody, and the child lives with the kinship caregiver under a licensed foster placement.

Custody or guardianship under the Family Law Act: A separate legal route where relatives seek custody directly through family court, independent of MCFD.

Most kinship caregivers in BC start with a temporary placement and then go through the standard foster care licensing process if the arrangement becomes longer-term. The requirements are essentially the same as for any foster home — background checks, home safety assessment, PRIDE training — but the personal stakes are higher because you already know the child.

The screening process for relative caregivers

MCFD treats kinship homes the same way they treat any foster home from a licensing standpoint. Every adult in the household must complete the CRRA (Criminal Records Review Act) employer-initiated background check and a Police Information Check with a vulnerable sector search. There are no exemptions for relatives.

The home must meet BC's physical standards: smoke detectors on every floor, adequate bedroom space (approximately 70 square feet for a single child), medications locked away, firearms secured separately from ammunition. If you live in an apartment, the child needs a private sleeping space — a pull-out couch doesn't meet the standard.

The SAFE home study is conducted for kinship placements just as it is for stranger foster placements. This involves two or three visits with all household members and a Questionnaire 2 (Q2) history interview that asks about your childhood, significant relationships, and family history. Many relative caregivers find this more emotionally charged than non-kinship applicants do — you're being assessed for a child you already love, in a family system you're already deeply embedded in.

One important caveat: in urgent situations, MCFD can place a child with a relative before full licensing is complete. This "bridge" arrangement allows the placement to happen quickly while the paperwork catches up. If you've been asked to take a child immediately, it does not mean you're exempt from eventual screening — it means the Ministry is prioritizing the child's placement stability while the process runs in parallel.

Financial support for kinship caregivers in BC

Kinship caregivers in BC who are licensed as foster homes receive the same maintenance payments as any other foster caregiver. As of July 1, 2025, the rates are:

• Ages 0–11: $1,549.20 per month ($50.93 per day)
• Ages 12–19: $1,726.33 per month ($56.76 per day)

These payments are intended to cover the child's food, clothing, recreation, and personal needs — they are not income for the caregiver. Children in care also receive dental and optical benefits through the Healthy Children program, with dental coverage up to $1,000 annually as of 2023.

If the child you're caring for has moderate to extraordinary support needs, an additional service payment may apply. Level 1 care adds $591.90 per month; Level 2 and Level 3 rates are higher and reflect more complex medical or behavioural situations.

If you are caring for a relative child under a private Family Law Act custody arrangement rather than an MCFD foster placement, the payment structure is different and generally lower. It's worth clarifying with MCFD early which legal pathway you're on, because it affects your entitlements significantly.

The Indigenous dimension of kinship care in BC

For Indigenous children in BC, kinship care carries specific cultural and legal significance. Approximately 68% of children in care in BC are Indigenous. The province's reconciliation commitments — particularly Bill 38 (2022), which enables Indigenous Nations to establish their own child welfare laws — mean that for many Indigenous children, the decision about where they live ultimately rests with the Nation, not just MCFD.

The principle of "customary care" reflects traditional Indigenous family and community practices of raising children collectively. BC law gives legal recognition to customary care arrangements under Section 53.1 of the CFCSA, which means an Indigenous child can be cared for by an extended family member under a plan developed with the Nation or Delegated Aboriginal Agency (DAA) rather than a provincial foster placement.

If you are a relative of an Indigenous child and have been asked to provide kinship care, it is worth contacting both the relevant DAA and MCFD. The DAA may have separate processes, different support structures, and specific cultural requirements for the placement. Organizations like the Belonging Network provide support to families navigating customary care arrangements.

What makes kinship care different emotionally

The logistics of kinship care follow the same path as standard foster care. The emotional experience is significantly harder.

You are caring for a child whose parents you likely know — and possibly love, or resent, or both. MCFD will expect you to support the child's ongoing relationship with their biological parents through regular access visits, which you may be facilitating while managing your own feelings about what happened. If reunification is the goal (and in BC, it nearly always is the first goal), you are also preparing the child for an eventual return to a situation that worried you enough to step in.

There is also the family system itself. Taking in a niece or grandchild puts you at the intersection of multiple family relationships — with the child's parents, with your own partner if you have one, with your existing children, and with the Ministry. The SAFE home study will ask you directly about these dynamics, and your candour in those conversations matters.

Caregiver burnout in kinship placements is real and well-documented. BC provides respite care funding specifically to prevent it — typically 72 to 84 hours per month, depending on the child's care level. Use it.

Where to start if you've been called about a child

If MCFD has contacted you about a specific child, the clock is short. Your first call should be back to MCFD to confirm what kind of arrangement they're proposing, how long they expect it to last, and what the legal status of the child will be during the placement.

If you want to pursue licensure proactively — before a crisis — contact your regional MCFD office. Vancouver Coastal: 604-660-5437. Fraser: 778-572-2370. Vancouver Island: 250-952-4707. Northern: 1-800-663-9122.

The British Columbia Foster Care Guide walks through the full licensing process in plain language, including what the SAFE Q2 covers, how to prepare your home for inspection, and what to expect from MCFD's communication (and silences) during the approval period.

Saying yes to kinship care is one of the most significant commitments a person can make. Understanding what you're agreeing to first — the requirements, the support, the financial structure, and the legal pathways — makes that yes more sustainable for everyone involved.

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