Financial Help for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Ontario

You were planning for retirement, not for raising a child again. But the child needed someone, and you stepped in. Now you need to know what money is actually available — and whether it will touch your pension.

Approximately 60% of single-grandparent households raising grandchildren in Ontario live below low-income measure thresholds. You are not alone in finding this hard, and there is more help available than most grandparents realize.

Programs That Do Not Touch Your Pension

The most important thing about Ontario's kinship financial programs: the two biggest streams — Temporary Care Assistance and the Canada Child Benefit — are assessed against the child's situation or your family income, not your personal retirement savings or pension payments. Your OAS, GIS, CPP, RRSP, TFSA, house, and car are all excluded from TCA eligibility.

Temporary Care Assistance (TCA)

TCA pays $274 per month for the first child in southern Ontario ($440 north of the 50th parallel in communities without year-round road access). Eligibility is based on the child's non-exempt income and assets; the asset limit is $500. Your personal income is completely irrelevant.

You also get mandatory health benefits for the child: prescription drugs through the Ontario Drug Benefit, dental care, and vision care.

Canada Child Benefit (CCB) and Ontario Child Benefit (OCB)

The CCB provides up to $679.75 per month for a child under six and $573.58 for a child six to seventeen. The OCB adds up to $146.66 per month. Both are income-tested against your adjusted family net income — so a grandparent living on OAS and GIS with modest CPP will likely qualify for the full or near-full amount.

You claim both by filing CRA Form RC66. You do not need custody, a court order, or the biological parent's cooperation. Proof that you provide the child's primary care — such as a school letter or doctor's note — can support your application.

What This Adds Up To

A 68-year-old grandmother on OAS and GIS who takes in one grandchild with no child income or assets:

• TCA: $274/month
• CCB (child aged 6–17): $573.58/month
• OCB: $146.66/month
• Total: $994.24/month in non-taxable child funding

Her personal pension continues at the same amount. TCA does not count as income on her tax return, does not affect her GIS, and does not appear on her OW file if she is not on standard Ontario Works.

Additional Sources of Help

CAS Kinship Service Funding

If a Children's Aid Society placed the child with you, ask about start-up and episodic funding — money for beds, car seats, school supplies, and safety equipment. These CAS payments are explicitly exempt as income under Ontario Works rules and do not reduce your TCA.

Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities (ACSD)

If the child has a severe disability, the ACSD program through MCCSS provides $25 to $678 per month based on extraordinary costs and a household income threshold of $77,640. This stacks with TCA and the child benefits.

Child Disability Benefit

For a child who qualifies for the federal Disability Tax Credit (via CRA Form T2201), the Child Disability Benefit adds up to $290 per month on top of the regular CCB.

Municipal Childcare Subsidies

If you are still working or need respite, municipal childcare fee subsidies cover licensed childcare costs based on household income.

Common Fears

"Will applying for TCA trigger a CAS investigation?" TCA is administered by Ontario Works, not Children's Aid. CAS involvement is a separate child-protection matter and is not determined by the TCA eligibility rules.

"Will I have to do job search activities?" No. TCA-only applicants are exempt from the Ontario Works Participation Agreement. You do not have to look for work.

"What if the child's parent comes back?" TCA continues as long as the child lives with you and remains in financial need. If the parent resumes full-time care, TCA stops — but so does your caregiving expense.

Our Ontario Kinship Financial Help guide covers every program in detail, with a document checklist for each application, a benefit-stacking summary showing exactly what your grandchild is entitled to, and tracking worksheets so nothing falls through the cracks.

See more Ontario guides →