Kinship Care vs Foster Care in Nova Scotia

Kinship care and foster care in Nova Scotia serve the same basic purpose — keeping a child safe when their parents can't — but the financial and legal structures are fundamentally different. Understanding which arrangement you're in determines what money you receive and who makes decisions about the child.

The Core Difference

Foster care is a formal placement by the Department of Opportunities and Social Development (formerly Community Services) under the Children and Family Services Act. The department arranges and supervises the placement and pays a daily per diem.

Kinship care describes a relative or person with a pre-existing relationship to the child taking on the caregiving role. It can be informal (a private family arrangement) or formal (arranged by the department as part of a child protection case). The financial picture depends entirely on which type.

Formal Kinship Placement (Agency-Arranged)

When the department places a child with a relative as part of a child-protection case, the arrangement looks similar to foster care:

• The department shares decision-making authority with the caregiver
• The caregiver receives a kinship board maintenance per diem — base rates range from $19.00 to $27.50+ per day, with specialized maintenance possible for children with higher needs
• The department claims the Children's Special Allowance (CSA) from the federal government for that child
• The child is not eligible for the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) or the Nova Scotia Child Benefit while in this placement — the CSA replaces them

Informal Kinship Care (Family-Arranged)

When you take in a child on your own — without department involvement — the financial picture is different:

• You have day-to-day care but no formal legal authority (unless you get a court order)
• There are no per diem payments from the department
• The child is eligible for the Canada Child Benefit and Nova Scotia Child Benefit
• The Alternative Family Care (AFC) program provides $250/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.
• You can access the Child Care Subsidy for licensed childcare

Which Pays More?

It depends on the child's age and the caregiver's income. For a formal kinship placement with a base per diem of $25/day:

• Formal kinship: ~$750/month (but no CCB or NSCB)
• Informal kinship, if eligible for each benefit: CCB (~$680) + NSCB (~$127) + AFC ($250) = ~$1,057/month

For low-income caregivers with children under 6, the informal route with stacked benefits often delivers more money — and without the department's ongoing supervision and reporting requirements.

The Department's New Name

If you're searching for contact information, note that the Department of Community Services was renamed to the Department of Opportunities and Social Development (OSD). The provincial ESIA intake line is 1-877-424-1177.

Child and Family Wellbeing Services (the child protection branch) operates within OSD, handling protection cases, foster care licensing, and formal kinship placements.

Choosing Your Path

You don't always get to choose. If the department is involved because of a child-protection concern, ask the worker whether the placement is formal and what supports apply. If no agency is involved, you may be in an informal arrangement and can apply for benefits under each program's eligibility rules.

The Nova Scotia kinship financial help guide covers both paths — formal and informal — with a benefit comparison chart and application steps for each program.

See more Nova Scotia guides →