BC Kinship Care Application Timeline: How Long Each Step Takes

EFP Assessment: The Sequence

The Extended Family Program does not have a published processing guarantee, and timelines vary by MCFD office workload and whether your screening checks come back clean. But here is the typical sequence:

Initial contact and intake. You call your local MCFD office or Delegated Indigenous Agency. A social worker is assigned. They begin gathering information about the child's situation and your household.

Background screening. Every adult in your household (aged 18+) consents to a Criminal Record Review Act check and an MCFD Prior Contact Check.

Safe Home Assessment. The social worker visits your home, evaluates the living environment, assesses your connection to the child, and interviews household members. They also request three written references — two from family members and one from a non-family member who has known you for at least three years.

Agreement execution. If everything clears, the tri-party EFP agreement is drafted, reviewed, and signed by you, the parent, and the Director of Child Welfare. Monthly maintenance payments begin after the agreement is executed.

There is no published EFP processing guarantee. The time from first contact to first payment depends on completing the assessment and checks, obtaining parental consent, and local office workload.

CCB Application: 8–11 Weeks

Allow 8–11 weeks for Form RC66 processing. Applications requiring additional evidence or a competing-claim review can take longer.

Retroactive payments are limited to 11 months before the date the CRA receives your form. The CRA determines when any retroactive amount is issued.

Running Both Applications Simultaneously

There is no reason to wait for one before starting the other. The EFP application (through MCFD) and the CCB application (through the CRA) are separate processes handled by different agencies. Submit Form RC66 the same week you contact MCFD about an EFP agreement. A delay in one process does not automatically hold up the other.

What to Do in the Gap

During the weeks between application and first payment, the child still needs food, clothing, and school supplies. If you are on a fixed income and the gap creates genuine hardship, ask the MCFD social worker whether discretionary setup funding is available; team leaders can authorise assistance for school setup, clothing, or basic recreational equipment within policy limits. If you are eligible for BC income assistance, the My Self Serve portal can begin that process in parallel.

The BC kinship financial help guide includes an application tracking log that lets you map both processes on a single timeline — so you always know what is pending, who you are waiting on, and when to follow up.

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