- Kinship service covers children who are not in a society's formal care, while kinship care covers children who are.
- Kinship service funding is limited to start-up and episodic amounts, with no ongoing subsidy.
- A child in society care placed with kin as a place of safety is paid up to the regular foster rate, or foster per diem if the home is approved as a kinship foster home.
- The word kin is not defined in the Act, and relatives are only one part of the wider group of people who may be considered.
If a children's aid society (CAS) has become involved with your family, you may hear the words kinship service and kinship care used as though they mean the same thing. They do not. The difference affects who has legal responsibility for the child, how closely the society oversees the home, and what money is available.
This article explains both models in plain language. Which one applies depends on the facts and the child's legal status, so use this as a guide for questions to ask the society and a lawyer.
Who counts as kin?
The word kin is not a defined term in the Child, Youth and Family Services Act. The Act's placement provisions refer to a relative of the child or a member of the child's extended family or community. A family friend, godparent or stepparent is generally considered a member of the child's community or extended family rather than a relative.
The Act defines relative narrowly: a grandparent, great-uncle, great-aunt, uncle or aunt, including through a spousal relationship or adoption. Extended family is wider and covers people to whom a child is related, including through a spousal relationship or adoption; for a First Nations, Inuk or Métis child, it also covers members of the child's bands and communities.
Kinship service: the child is not in society care
Kinship service is for children who are not in a society's formal care. Provincial funding guidance describes it as for a child placed with kin or a community member who is not in society care, such as under a supervision order, with parental consent, with the consent of a 16 or 17-year-old, or during a custody court proceeding before a final order.
The caregiver must be approved by the society to offer kinship service. The society's standards cover searching for kin, initial screening, a comprehensive assessment of the kin family, a kinship service plan, and opening and closing the file. The child lives with you, and the society's role is to assess and support rather than to hold legal care and custody.
Kinship care: the child is in society care
Kinship care covers children who are in formal care. One common route is a place of safety: a person's home can be a place of safety if the person is a relative or a member of the child's extended family or community, and the society has assessed the home and is satisfied the person is willing and able to provide a safe home environment.
Here the society keeps legal responsibility and chooses the placement. When a society must choose a residential placement for a child in its care, it is required to use the least restrictive alternative for the child. A kinship family may also be approved as a kinship foster home.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Kinship service | Kinship care |
|---|---|---|
| Child's status | Not in society care | In society care |
| Approval | Society must approve the caregiver to offer kinship service | Home assessed as a place of safety, or approved as a kinship foster home |
| Start-up money | Up to $1,000 for each new kinship service family | How this applies depends on your situation, so confirm it with the society |
| Ongoing money | Up to $1,000 a year per child for episodic needs; no ongoing subsidy | Payments up to the regular foster rate (about $900 a month), or foster per diem if approved as a kinship foster home |
| Who decides placement | Arrangement such as consent or court order, with the caregiver approved by the society | The society chooses the placement for a child in its care |
Checks and oversight in either model
Regulation rules apply wherever a placement plan would put a child with a relative or a member of the child's extended family or community. Before the child moves, the society must evaluate the plan, identify every adult in the home, interview the caregiver, interview the child privately, and assess the home. The worker must document the evaluation within 30 days.
After placement there must be a home visit, caregiver interview and private child interview within seven days, a second home visit within 30 days, and review of the plan by a society child welfare service supervisor. If a child is already living with a relative when the society finds out, it must evaluate within seven days. The society's older policy documents on kinship use names and wording from earlier legislation, so ask the society how they are applied today.
What to do next
- Ask the worker, in writing, whether the child would be in the society's care or not.
- Ask which model is proposed and what that means for money and for who holds legal authority.
- Ask what approval or assessment steps apply and what dates to expect.
- Ask whether a court order, such as custody with your consent, is being considered.
- Speak with a family lawyer before you sign any agreement.
If you disagree with the model proposed, a lawyer can explain whether options like asking the court to consider you as a placement are available.
Frequently asked questions
Is kinship service the same as kinship care?
No. Kinship service covers children not in a society's formal care, and kinship care covers children who are in formal care. The legal status of the child is the main difference.
Which model pays more?
For a child in society care placed with kin as a place of safety, payments are not to exceed the regular foster care rate, about $900 a month, and an approved kinship foster home receives foster per diem rates. Kinship service has start-up funding up to $1,000 and episodic funding up to $1,000 a year per child, with no ongoing subsidy.
Can a family friend be a kinship caregiver?
The Act's placement provisions refer to a relative or a member of the child's extended family or community, and a family friend or godparent is generally treated as part of the community or extended family. Whether a particular person is approved depends on the society's assessment.
Does the society need my consent for kinship service?
Kinship service can follow a parental consent, a supervision order, or the consent of a 16 or 17-year-old, among other situations. Anything you sign has legal consequences, so get advice before agreeing.
Sources
- Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017 (e-Laws) — Ontario e-Laws
- O. Reg. 156/18: General Matters Under the Authority of the Minister (e-Laws) — Ontario e-Laws
- Policy Directive CW 004-06: Kinship Service Standards Directive — ontario.ca
- 2023 Ontario Permanency Funding Policy Guidelines — ontario.ca
- Funding for caregivers of children in need of protection (Ontario.ca) — ontario.ca
Links go to official government, court and regulator pages. The law changes — confirm you are reading the current version.
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