Canada Child Benefit for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Ontario

The Canada Child Benefit is the largest single payment most grandparents raising grandchildren can access — up to $679.75 per month for a child under six and $573.58 for a child six to seventeen. But the application process for a non-parent caregiver is different from a parent's, and the CRA's standard online forms are not designed for your situation.

You Do Not Need Custody or the Parent's Permission

This is the single most important point. The CCB goes to whoever has primary care and control of the child. That is a factual question, not a legal one. The CRA evaluates who prepares the child's meals, supervises daily routines, arranges school and medical care, and provides the child's primary home. If the child lives with you and you handle those responsibilities, you qualify — whether you have a court order, a custody agreement, or nothing at all.

You do not need the biological parent to sign anything, file their tax return first, or agree to the transfer.

How to Apply

Submit CRA Form RC66 (Canada Child Benefits Application). If you are a newcomer or returning to Canada, also complete Schedule RC66SCH.

Attach third-party documentation supporting that you provide primary care, such as:

• A school enrolment form listing you as the primary contact and the child's home address
• A letter from the child's doctor confirming the child resides with you
• A CAS worker's letter verifying the child's living arrangement
• A statutory declaration signed before a commissioner of oaths

You can file online through CRA My Account or by paper. Processing times vary — online submissions tend to be faster — but expect several weeks to a few months.

What Happens to the Parent's Payments

When the CRA processes your RC66, it transfers primary CCB entitlement to you starting the month after the child moved into your home. At the same time, the CRA terminates the parent's payments and will seek recovery of any amounts the parent received after losing physical care of the child.

This can create friction. Some biological parents continue collecting the CCB months after the child has moved to your home. Filing your RC66 with strong proof of care is the mechanism that corrects this. You do not need to wait for the parent to stop claiming.

The Ontario Child Benefit Comes Automatically

When you submit Form RC66, the CRA also evaluates you for the Ontario Child Benefit — up to $146.66 per month per child. There is no separate application. If your adjusted family net income is $26,865 or less, you receive the full amount.

If you are on OW or ODSP in your own right and the OCB has not started yet, ask your local OW office about the Transition Child Benefit ($230 per month per child) to bridge the gap while the CRA processes your file.

How to Prove Primary Care

The CRA's "primary caregiver" test looks at daily life, not legal status. The strongest evidence shows the child's life is centered on your household:

• School records — the child attends school near your home, and you are listed as the emergency contact
• Medical records — the child's doctor or dentist has your address on file
• Third-party letters — a social worker, church leader, or community organization can confirm the child lives with you
• Financial records — receipts for school supplies, clothing, or extracurricular activities you have paid for

If you have multiple forms of proof, submit them all. The CRA weighs the totality of evidence, and stronger documentation means faster processing and fewer follow-up requests.

Filing Your Tax Return Matters

CCB payments for each benefit year (July to June) are based on the previous year's tax return. Both you and your spouse or common-law partner must file a Canadian income tax return every year to keep CCB payments flowing — even if your income was zero. A missed tax return will stop your CCB payments until the CRA has the return on file.

For the full process — including how to handle a parent who disputes the transfer, what to do when the CRA asks for additional documentation, and how the CCB interacts with TCA and CAS payments — our Ontario Kinship Financial Help guide walks through each step with the exact forms and proof documents you need.

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