Child and Family Services Kinship Care in Manitoba

Two Completely Different Systems

When people talk about "kinship care" in Manitoba, they might mean one of two very different things — and the financial consequences depend entirely on which system you're in.

Informal kinship care is a private family arrangement. You've taken in a grandchild or relative's child without CFS involvement. You apply for benefits yourself through EIA and the CRA.

CFS kinship care means a Child and Family Services agency has placed a child in your home as part of a child protection response. The agency holds legal care or custody, you act under their direction, and funding flows through the agency's foster maintenance system.

The money, the paperwork, the legal authority, and the rules are different in each stream. Mixing them up can cost you thousands of dollars in benefits or leave you fighting the wrong bureaucracy.

How CFS Kinship Placements Work

When a CFS agency determines that a child needs to be removed from their parents' care — due to abuse, neglect, or safety concerns — the agency looks first to family. Under The Child and Family Services Act, placing a child with a relative or someone the child knows is preferred over placing them with a stranger.

If CFS places the child with you formally:

1. The agency holds legal authority. You're caring for the child under the agency's direction. Major decisions about the child's health, education, and living situation go through the agency.

2. You receive foster maintenance rates. These daily per diem payments cover the child's food, clothing, shelter, and basic needs. Manitoba recently ended a 13-year freeze on these rates with a 10% increase. Rates vary by the child's age and needs level.

3. The CCB stops while CSA is payable. When a child enters formal CFS care, Children's Special Allowances (CSA) replace the CCB. The agency receives CSA and can ask the CRA to pay it directly to the foster caregiver. You cannot receive CCB for a month in which CSA is payable.

4. You may need licensing. CFS kinship placements often require the caregiver to undergo a home assessment and possibly formal foster licensing, depending on the agency and the nature of the placement.

When CFS Is Involved but You're Not a Formal Placement

There's a middle ground that catches many families off guard. CFS may be aware of your arrangement — they may have even encouraged it — but they haven't taken legal custody of the child. In this scenario:

• You're still in an informal arrangement
• CFS hasn't placed the child with you through their system
• You don't receive foster maintenance rates
• You can and should apply for EIA Section 5(1)(f) child-only assistance, CCB, and other benefits on your own

The critical document here is written confirmation from the CFS agency acknowledging that they're aware of the arrangement. EIA will accept this letter in lieu of the Legal Aid Manitoba In Loco Parentis form when processing your Section 5(1)(f) application.

If CFS tells you to take the child but doesn't formally open a protection file, ask explicitly: "Is this a formal CFS placement, or am I caring for this child informally?" The answer determines your entire funding pathway.

Permanency Planning: What Happens Long-Term

CFS doesn't intend for children to stay in temporary care forever. Manitoba's child welfare system uses permanency planning to move children toward stable, long-term living arrangements. For kinship caregivers, this typically means one of three outcomes:

Reunification: The child returns to the biological parents once the safety concerns are resolved. Your role as caregiver ends, along with the associated payments.

Guardianship with a Relative: If a court finds a child needs protection, it can place the child with a person under section 38(1)(b) of The Child and Family Services Act, with or without transferring guardianship. This is separate from a private guardianship application under section 48 of The Family Law Act. If an agency still financially maintains the child, CSA can remain payable to the agency; you cannot receive CCB for a month in which CSA is payable.

Long-term CFS wardship: If reunification isn't possible and no private guardianship is established, the child may become a permanent ward of the agency. You'd continue as a foster caregiver under agency supervision.

The financial transition from CFS foster rates to informal benefits can create a gap. Foster maintenance per diems are generally higher than EIA Section 5(1)(f) allowances. Before a guardianship order is made, ask the agency and CRA when agency maintenance or CSA will end and when you can apply for EIA and CCB.

Indigenous Child Welfare and Customary Care

First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children represent a significant proportion of children in Manitoba's child welfare system. Under The Child and Family Services Act and federal legislation (An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families), Indigenous child welfare agencies operate parallel systems that prioritize keeping children connected to their communities.

Customary Care is a separate agreement pathway that allows an Indigenous child to live with extended kin or community members in a way that reflects the community's traditions. The parent or guardian retains guardianship, and the child is not in agency care under the agreement. The agreement may include financial assistance or other supports; ask the agency serving your community what supports and caregiver-approval steps apply.

If you're an Indigenous kinship caregiver, connect with the CFS agency serving your community or its authority. Manitoba's CFS authorities include the Southern First Nations Network of Care, the First Nations of Northern Manitoba Child and Family Services Authority, and the Métis Child and Family Services Authority.

The Financial Comparison

Understanding which stream you're in — and which stream best serves the child — is the first step toward accessing the right financial supports. The Manitoba Kinship Financial Help Guide covers both pathways with detailed application steps, so you know exactly what to apply for regardless of whether CFS is involved.

See more Manitoba guides →