Nova Scotia Foster Care Per Diem Rates and Financial Support Breakdown

One of the most common questions prospective foster parents ask — and one of the least clearly answered on any official website — is what the financial support actually looks like. DCS provides per diem payments, placement allowances, and a set of supplementary supports, but the specific numbers are rarely published in one place and are not indexed to cost of living in any transparent way.

The payments are designed to cover the cost of caring for a child, not to provide income. Nova Scotia's 22.7% child poverty rate and the particular vulnerabilities of the 766 children currently in the Minister's care make this distinction worth understanding clearly before you apply.

Core Per Diem Rates

The per diem is the daily payment made to foster parents to cover the child's basic living costs: food, clothing, shelter contribution, and personal expenses. Nova Scotia uses two age-based rates:

• Age 0-9: $19.00 per day ($570/month equivalent; $6,935/year)
• Age 10 and over: $27.50 per day ($825/month equivalent; $10,038/year)

These rates apply to standard foster placements. They are paid on a calendar basis, including weekends and holidays. Payments are typically processed through direct deposit on a bi-weekly or monthly cycle depending on your district.

The per diem is not taxable income for the foster parent in most circumstances. However, if you foster more than two children or operate a foster home as a business, the tax treatment changes — consult a tax professional for your specific situation.

Placement Allowance

When a child is first placed in your home, DCS issues a one-time placement allowance of $200. This is intended to cover immediate start-up costs: school supplies, additional clothing, hygiene products, and other items the child arrives without. It is paid per placement, not per year.

If a child leaves and is later returned to your care as a new placement, a new placement allowance is triggered.

Special Occasion Allowances

Foster parents in Nova Scotia receive supplementary allowances for specific occasions:

• Christmas allowance: $400 per child in care, issued in December
• Graduation allowance: $750 for a child graduating from high school (Grade 12 or equivalent)
• Birthday: Some districts provide a modest birthday allowance; confirm with your district worker

These allowances are paid directly to the foster parent and are intended to be spent on the child. They are not recouped if the placement ends before the occasion if the child was in your care at the time the allowance was issued.

Mileage and Transportation

Foster care involves a substantial amount of driving: medical appointments, school enrollment, family contact visits, DCS meetings, and court dates. Nova Scotia reimburses transportation costs as follows:

• Base mileage: $50 per month (automatic, regardless of distance driven)
• Per-kilometre rate: $0.5932 per kilometre for approved travel beyond the base

Claims are submitted to your district office with a mileage log. Approved travel includes visits to birth family contact locations, medical and therapeutic appointments for the child, and DCS-required meetings. Routine school runs are generally covered by the base amount.

Babysitting Reimbursement

When foster parents need childcare for a child in placement — for work obligations, appointments, or other approved reasons — DCS reimburses babysitting at $10.60 per hour. The babysitter must be an approved caregiver; you cannot use a family member in the same household.

Keep receipts and track hours. Babysitting claims are submitted with your regular financial reporting to your district worker.

Respite Care Rate

Respite care provides foster parents with planned breaks, typically when a child temporarily stays with another approved foster family for a weekend or short period. If you are providing respite care for another foster family's child, the rate is $56 per 24-hour period.

If you are a regular foster parent receiving respite services, the respite family is paid directly by DCS — there is no reduction in your own per diem during the respite period.

Enhanced Rates

Children with significant medical, developmental, behavioural, or therapeutic needs may qualify for an enhanced placement rate. Enhanced rates are set individually based on the child's assessment and the level of support required. They can be substantially higher than the standard per diem — the rate is negotiated between DCS and the foster parent at the time of placement and reviewed periodically.

To qualify for enhanced rates, the child must have an assessment documenting elevated needs, and the foster parent typically requires additional training or demonstrated experience in the relevant area. Foster parents who specialize in medically complex children or youth with severe trauma histories often work under enhanced rate agreements.

What the Per Diem Does Not Cover

The per diem is not income. It is structured to reimburse costs, not compensate labour. Nova Scotia foster parents are not paid for their time — the per diem assumes that food, shelter, and child-related expenses consume most of the daily payment.

What often catches new foster parents off guard:

• The first week or two after placement can involve upfront costs (clothing, bedding, school enrollment fees) that the $200 placement allowance does not fully cover. Having a personal buffer of $300-500 ready avoids stress during the transition.
• School-related costs — field trips, school photos, sports fees — are typically not separately reimbursed and come from the per diem. Communicate with your district worker about any exceptional costs.
• Therapeutic services for children with identified needs are generally funded separately through DCS's clinical programs, not from the per diem. Confirm this for each child before assuming coverage.

Comparing to Other Provinces

Nova Scotia's per diem rates are mid-range among Canadian provinces. Ontario's rates are higher in absolute terms but similar when adjusted for cost of living. New Brunswick's standard rate is lower. Alberta provides a broader supplementary allowance structure. The point is not that Nova Scotia's rates are inadequate — it is that they are designed to cover costs, not reward caregiving, and that clarity about the numbers before you apply prevents resentment later.

The Nova Scotia Foster Care Guide includes a complete financial worksheet covering monthly per diem projections by age group, first-year cost estimates, and a guide to submitting mileage and babysitting claims without common errors that delay payment.

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