BC Kinship Caregiver Respite Care and Counselling Support

Burnout Is the Biggest Threat to Kinship Placements

A grandparent who took in a grandchild at age 65 is now managing school routines, medical appointments, and bedtime battles on a body that was planning for retirement. Physical exhaustion, grief, and isolation can add to the strain on kinship caregivers. BC has supports that may help make care more sustainable.

Respite Care Through MCFD

If you're on an Extended Family Program agreement or a CFCSA court order, you can request respite care through your MCFD social worker. If approved, respite provides a temporary break in caregiving. Ask what arrangement is available, who can provide it, and how long it can last.

Respite arrangements are assessed individually. Your social worker evaluates the child's needs, your own capacity, and available local resources. For children with complex behavioural or medical needs, Enhanced Out-of-Care (EOOC) funding can provide more substantial respite support, ranging from $6,500 up to $26,000 annually for high-need cases.

Respite isn't a sign of failure. It's a planned part of sustainable kinship care, and MCFD social workers are trained to treat it as routine preventive support.

Counselling and Mental Health Support

Kinship care arrangements almost always begin with a family crisis — parental addiction, illness, incarceration, or death. Both the child and the caregiver carry emotional weight from that disruption. BC offers several counselling pathways:

For the child: Ask the MCFD or ICFSA worker what counselling or other support services can be included in the child's plan. Availability and approvals depend on the child's needs and care arrangement.

For the caregiver: The Parent Support Services Society of BC (PSSBC) operates the Kinship Care Help Line (1-855-474-9777), which connects grandparents and relatives to free peer support groups and workshops across the province. These groups bring together caregivers in similar situations — the shared experience is often more valuable than formal therapy.

Community-based counselling: Many community agencies offer free or sliding-scale family counselling. Your MCFD social worker or PSSBC can provide referrals specific to your community.

Summer Camp and Enrichment Funding

EFP caregivers can ask about discretionary recreational supports and how to document the need in the care plan. Cultural support funding is available for Indigenous children to participate in cultural, traditional, and community activities.

Ask the delegated agency or MCFD worker which supports are available for the child and whether prior approval is required.

For informal caregivers without EFP, community organizations often offer subsidized or free summer camp spots for low-income families. The Kinship Care Help Line can point you to programs in your area.

After-School Programs and Tutoring

If the child needs academic support, ask the school district or community agencies what programs are available. EFP written plans can outline support services; ask the worker whether any additional education-related expense can be considered before paying for it.

These supports are documented in your EFP Written Plan, so raise them proactively with your social worker during plan reviews rather than waiting for a crisis.

The BC Kinship Financial Help Guide includes a full list of supplementary supports available under each care arrangement, with contact scripts for requesting respite, counselling, and enrichment funding from your social worker.

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