Respite Foster Care in Ontario: What It Is and How It Works

Foster care is demanding work. The families who do it full-time know this better than anyone. Respite care exists to give those families a structured, planned break — a few days or a weekend where a child moves into a secondary approved home while their primary foster family recharges. For the child, it is a familiar, safe environment with a known caregiver. For the foster family, it is the difference between sustainable long-term fostering and burning out within a year.

But respite care is not only about supporting existing foster families. For some people, it is also the entry point into the foster care system — a lower-commitment starting point that builds experience before taking on a full placement.

What Respite Foster Care Is

Respite care in Ontario refers to temporary, short-duration placements arranged through a Children's Aid Society or licensed foster care agency. The typical respite placement runs from one day to two weeks. Extended respite (several weeks) is less common but does occur when a primary foster family has a medical situation, a family emergency, or a planned period of leave.

The child in respite care is still in the CAS's care — the placement is simply occurring in a different approved home for a temporary period. The primary foster family retains their ongoing relationship and responsibilities for the child.

Who Can Provide Respite Care

To provide respite care in Ontario, you must be approved by the CAS or a licensed foster care agency. The requirements are the same as for any foster home:

• Vulnerable Sector Check for all adults in the household
• SAFE home study assessment
• PRIDE training (27 hours)
• Medical assessment
• Physical home meeting O. Reg. 156/18 standards

There is no separate "respite only" license. A respite caregiver is a licensed foster parent. The difference is that they are not matched with a primary long-term placement — they are on a roster of approved homes available for short-term placements as needed.

Some prospective foster parents choose to start as respite caregivers deliberately. It is an effective way to experience the reality of foster care — including the emotional dynamics, the paperwork, and the interactions with CAS workers — before committing to a full placement. It also builds your relationship with your local CAS, which can influence how quickly you are matched when a permanent placement comes available.

How CAS Manages Respite Placements

When a primary foster family requests respite, their CAS caseworker contacts available respite providers in the agency's network. The child's needs, schedule, and any special requirements are shared with the prospective respite family before the placement is confirmed.

For the child, good respite providers are not strangers. CASes encourage primary foster families and respite families to meet in advance so the child has a relationship with the respite caregiver before staying there alone. This matters especially for children with trauma histories who struggle with transitions and unfamiliar environments.

Per diems are paid to the respite provider for the duration of the placement at the same tiered rate structure that applies to regular foster care: $39–$65/day for basic care, up to $115/day for treatment-level placements.

Private Foster Care Agencies in Ontario

Not all foster care in Ontario is managed directly by CASes. There is also a network of licensed private foster care agencies that operate under the authority of Ontario Regulation 156/18 and are subject to oversight by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.

Private agencies recruit, train, and support their own roster of foster families. Children placed with a private agency's families are typically still in the legal care of a CAS, but the day-to-day matching, support, and supervision is handled by the private agency under contract with the CAS.

Examples of private agencies operating in Ontario include:

• Safe Harbours: A licensed private agency known for its specialized care programs and, notably, higher-than-average per diem rates ($75–$90/day for basic care)
• Nairn Family Homes: Provides foster care support with "flex funding" models that allow individualized allocation of supports
• KRRD Child & Family Services: Operates with tiered rates including treatment-level placements up to $115/day

For prospective foster parents, private agencies can offer certain advantages: more personalized support, faster intake processes in some cases, and in some agencies, higher per diem rates than standard CAS rates. The trade-off is that private agency families may have less direct access to the full range of CAS resources and may feel a step removed from the primary decision-making around a child's plan.

Choosing Between a CAS and a Private Agency

If you are in a region served by a private agency, it is worth speaking to both the local CAS and any licensed private agencies before making a decision. Key questions to ask:

• What per diem rates do you offer, and how are care levels determined?
• What support is available to foster families outside of business hours?
• How are placement decisions made — do foster parents have input?
• What training and ongoing professional development do you provide after the initial PRIDE?
• How are respite placements coordinated for your families?

For respite care specifically, private agencies often have more agile rostering systems than large CASes, which can mean faster matching when a respite request comes in. If your goal is to primarily provide respite rather than long-term care, a private agency may be a practical choice.

The Ontario Foster Care Guide includes a directory of private foster care agencies by region, a comparison of CAS versus private agency foster homes, and a detailed overview of how to get onto a respite provider roster in Ontario.

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