CRA Proof of Care Letters: School and Doctor Templates for Grandparents

The CRA asks kinship caregivers to prove they're the person primarily responsible for a child's care. In theory, that's straightforward. In practice, it means asking a school secretary or a doctor's receptionist to write a letter confirming something they've never been asked to confirm before — and they don't always know what the CRA needs the letter to say.

Here's how to get letters that actually satisfy the CRA's requirements.

What the CRA Wants in a Proof-of-Care Letter

The CRA isn't looking for elaborate legal statements. They want simple, factual confirmation from a third party that you are the adult managing the child's daily life. The key details the CRA is checking for:

• Who the child is — full legal name and date of birth
• Who the caregiver is — your full name and your relationship to the child
• That the child lives with you — the child's address matches yours
• That you handle the child's affairs — you're the contact person, you attend appointments, you manage enrollments
• The date range — how long this arrangement has been in place (especially important for retroactive claims)

The letter should come on official letterhead (school, clinic, organization), be signed and dated, and include the name and title of the person writing it.

Getting a Letter From the School

A school enrollment letter is one of the strongest pieces of evidence you can submit. Schools have records showing who enrolled the child, who is listed as the emergency contact, who attends parent-teacher meetings, and who picks the child up.

When you ask the school, be specific about what you need. Many school administrators are willing to help but don't know what to write. Request a letter that confirms:

• The child's name and grade
• The date of enrollment (or the date you became the primary contact)
• That your address is the address on file for the child
• That you are listed as the parent or guardian for school communications
• That you attend parent-teacher conferences and handle school matters

You might say: "I'm applying for the Canada Child Benefit through the CRA, and they've asked me to provide a letter from the school confirming that I'm the child's primary caregiver. Could you write a brief letter on school letterhead confirming that [child's name] is enrolled, that I'm the emergency contact, and that I handle all school-related matters?"

Most schools will produce this letter within a few days. If the school's main office is backed up, the child's classroom teacher or guidance counsellor can often write a letter that serves the same purpose.

Getting a Letter From the Doctor

A doctor's confirmation carries significant weight because it shows you're the person making medical decisions for the child. Ask the clinic or pediatrician's office for a letter confirming:

• The child's name and date of birth
• That you are listed as the responsible adult on the child's medical file
• That you book and attend the child's medical appointments
• The date you first brought the child for an appointment (or were added as the primary contact)

If the doctor has seen the child multiple times and can note that you've accompanied the child at each visit, that's particularly strong.

Some clinics charge a small fee for writing medical letters. If cost is a concern, ask whether the office can simply print a confirmation from their system rather than composing a formal letter — even a printout showing your name as the contact and the dates of recent visits can work.

Other Third-Party Letters That Work

Schools and doctors are the CRA's preferred sources, but other confirmations are accepted:

• Daycare or after-school program — a letter confirming you enrolled the child and handle pickups
• Social worker or case worker — if a social worker is aware of your caregiving arrangement, their confirmation is highly credible to the CRA
• Band council representative — for Indigenous communities, a letter from a band council member confirming the kinship arrangement is recognized as strong evidence
• Community organization — a sports league, religious organization, or community centre where you registered the child and serve as the parent contact
• Other professionals — a dentist, optometrist, speech therapist, or other practitioner who has seen the child with you

The CRA weighs multiple independent sources. Three letters from different institutions are stronger than one detailed letter from a single source.

Timing: Before or After the CRA Asks

You don't have to wait for the CRA to request proof. Gathering your letters before you submit Form RC66 means you're ready the moment the CRA asks — and for kinship caregiver applications, the ask is common. Having everything ready can shave weeks off your processing time.

If the CRA has already sent you a benefit review letter requesting documentation, respond by the stated deadline. If you do not reply, your child and family benefit payments could stop, so speed matters.

What to Avoid

A few things that don't help — or can hurt — your evidence submission:

Self-written declarations. A letter written by you about yourself isn't third-party evidence. The CRA needs confirmation from someone outside your household.

Letters that only confirm residency. A letter saying "this child lives at 123 Main Street" is useful but incomplete. The CRA wants to see that you're the person managing the child's daily life, not just that the child has an address.

Outdated documents. If the child has been with you for three years, a letter from year one is supporting evidence but you'll also need something current showing the arrangement is ongoing.

The Complete Evidence Package

Our guide to proving primary care responsibility covers the full evidence strategy — what the CRA values most, how to organize your documents, and what to do if the CRA asks for more after your first submission.

For the complete picture of claiming the CCB as a kinship caregiver — from filling out Form RC66 through CRA reviews and formal objections — our comprehensive guide walks through every step with the specific forms and evidence requirements for grandparents and relatives.

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