Customary Care in Ontario: Financial Support for Indigenous Kinship Caregivers

What Customary Care Means in Ontario

Customary care is the formal recognition, under Ontario's Child, Youth and Family Services Act (CYFSA), that First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities have their own child-rearing traditions. When an Indigenous child needs care outside their immediate parents' home, customary care allows the child's community — through a Band Council, community authority, or Indigenous Child and Family Well-Being Agency — to declare and approve a culturally appropriate placement with relatives or community members.

This is not the same as standard foster care or Kinship Service through a mainstream Children's Aid Society. Customary care operates under Indigenous governance, with the community's involvement in both the placement decision and the ongoing support structure.

How a Customary Care Agreement Works

A customary care arrangement typically begins when an Indigenous Child and Family Well-Being Agency — such as Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child & Family Services, Dilico Anishinabek Family Care, or Payukotayno James and Hudson Bay Family Services — identifies that a child needs out-of-home care. The agency works with the child's First Nation or community to find a suitable relative or community member.

The placement is formalised through a Band Council Declaration or community agreement, which:

• Names the caregiver and the child
• Sets out the terms of the care arrangement
• Identifies the financial support the caregiver will receive
• Establishes the community's ongoing role in oversight and cultural connection

This process reflects the distinct Indigenous governance role in customary care recognised under Ontario's CYFSA and the federal An Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis Children, Youth and Families.

Financial Support Under Customary Care

Customary care funding is administered by the Indigenous agency, not by a municipal Ontario Works office. The funding structure often matches standard foster care per diem rates, recognising that the cost of raising a child does not change based on the legal label. The specific amount depends on the agency's funding agreement with the province and the child's needs.

In addition to agency funding, customary care caregivers may also be eligible for:

• Canada Child Benefit — if the caregiver is recognised as the child's primary caregiver, they can apply for the CCB through CRA Form RC66, regardless of the customary care arrangement
• Ontario Child Benefit — assessed automatically alongside the CCB
• TCA — caregivers under customary care may be eligible for Temporary Care Assistance if they are not receiving foster-equivalent per diem payments from the agency

Whether TCA and CCB stack with customary care funding depends on the specific arrangement. Caregivers receiving a full foster-equivalent per diem are generally not eligible for TCA, following the same rule that applies to mainstream Kinship Care (formal foster) placements. But if the customary care funding is partial or episodic, TCA eligibility may remain.

How Customary Care Differs from Mainstream Kinship Arrangements

The key difference is sovereignty: customary care centres the Indigenous community's authority over the child's placement and cultural continuity. This is not a variant of mainstream foster care with a different name — it is a distinct legal pathway rooted in Indigenous self-governance.

Finding Your Local Indigenous Agency

Ontario has more than a dozen Indigenous Child and Family Well-Being Agencies serving communities across the province. Your starting points:

• Contact your Band office or community council
• Call the Association of Native Child and Family Services Agencies of Ontario for a referral
• Reach your local Indigenous friendship centre, which can connect you with the right agency

Our Ontario Kinship Financial Help guide covers customary care alongside every other Ontario kinship arrangement, including how the financial supports interact and what documentation to gather for each funding stream.

See more Ontario guides →