Informal Kinship Care in Nova Scotia

Most relative caregivers in Nova Scotia start out informal. A grandchild shows up because a parent is in hospital, in treatment, or in jail, and you take them in. There's no social worker, no court order, no formal paperwork. Just a child who needs a stable place to sleep.

Informal kinship care is a recognized arrangement in Nova Scotia, and it comes with real financial benefits — but also real limitations.

What "Informal" Means

Informal kinship care is a private family arrangement with no court involvement and no child protection agency supervision. You and the parent (or sometimes just the circumstances) decided that the child would live with you. The Department of Opportunities and Social Development isn't managing the placement.

This is different from a formal kinship placement under the Children and Family Services Act, where the department places a child with you as part of a child protection case. Formal placements come with per diem payments and agency oversight; informal care doesn't.

What You Can Access Without a Court Order

Informal caregivers qualify for more than most people realize:

• Canada Child Benefit (CCB): Apply with Form RC66 and proof of primary care (school letters, medical records). No court order required.
• Nova Scotia Child Benefit (NSCB): Paid automatically once you're registered with the CRA as the primary caregiver.
• Child Care Subsidy: Available to caregivers with adjusted household net income of $70,000 or less, regardless of legal status.
• Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP): Federal coverage for children under 18 in households under $90,000 without private insurance.
• Alternative Family Care (AFC): The program provides $250 per month per child. AFC has historically been accessed through child-protection workers; public guidance does not set out a separate self-referral route for caregivers without a worker.

What You Can't Do Without Legal Authority

The limitations of informal care show up in specific situations:

• Major medical decisions: A doctor may refuse to perform non-emergency surgery or procedures without written parental consent or a court order.
• Travel: A child passport application must be made by a parent with parental authority or a legal guardian, and all parents or legal guardians must sign. An informal caregiving arrangement alone does not make you the child's legal guardian. Border authorities may also ask for consent or other travel documents.
• Certain school actions: Schools may require proof of care or legal authority for enrollment or decisions such as a transfer or special education services. Ask the school or school board what documents it accepts.
• Protection from a parent seeking the child's return: An informal arrangement alone does not give you a court order to prevent a parent from seeking to resume care.

Building Your Proof of Care

Even without a court order, document everything. The stronger your paper trail, the easier every benefit application and future legal step becomes:

• Ask the school to record you as a primary contact and keep any written confirmation
• Register as the primary emergency contact at school and the doctor's office
• Keep a log of when the child arrived, what care you provide, and any contact with the parents
• Collect letters from the school, doctor, and any community agencies confirming the child lives with you

These documents serve triple duty: they support your CCB claim, they build evidence for a future court application if you need one, and they protect you if the CRA ever asks for proof during a review.

When to Formalize

Informal care works well when the parent is cooperative (or at least not interfering), the child's needs are stable, and you can access the benefits you need with proof of care alone. Consider moving toward a court order when:

• The parent becomes uncooperative or threatens to remove the child
• You need medical consent authority the parent won't provide
• You want to travel with the child
• Institutional gatekeepers (schools, hospitals, agencies) are blocking you

The Nova Scotia kinship financial help guide walks through both paths — what you can accomplish informally and the step-by-step process for going to court — with checklists for each stage.

See more Nova Scotia guides →