Private Guardianship in Alberta: Financial Support for Kinship Caregivers

Two Paths to Private Guardianship, Very Different Finances

Alberta has two separate legal routes to a Private Guardianship Order, and the financial support available depends entirely on which one you take.

The CYFEA track: The child was in permanent government care under a Permanent Guardianship Order (PGO) or Permanent Guardianship Agreement (PGA) through Children and Family Services. You apply for a Private Guardianship Order to take the child out of government care permanently. This path opens the door to the Supports for Permanency (SFP) program.

The Family Law Act track: You apply directly to the Court of King's Bench or Alberta Court of Justice for guardianship under Part 2 of the Family Law Act. The child was never in government care. This path does not give you access to SFP or kinship per diems.

The distinction is rigid. A relative who obtains a Private Guardianship Order through the FLA without prior PGO/PGA status is excluded from all provincial kinship maintenance rates and SFP funding.

What the CYFEA Track Pays (SFP)

If the child was under a PGO or PGA, the Supports for Permanency program provides:

• Basic maintenance per diems from $26.00/day (ages 0–1) to $39.66/day (ages 16–17), non-taxable
• Up to 576 hours of respite care per year
• Up to $70/week for emotional and behavioural support
• Up to 10 counselling sessions per year
• Cultural travel reimbursement for First Nations children
• Medically necessary orthodontic coverage

Once the child exits government care, you can apply for the Canada Child Benefit (up to $8,157/year for a child under 6) and the Alberta Child and Family Benefit (up to $1,529/year base for one child) if you meet their eligibility rules.

Since September 2025, households earning $180,000 or more are excluded from the basic maintenance component of SFP for new orders, except for existing recipients and families whose court applications were filed on or before February 28, 2025. All other SFP supports remain available regardless of income.

What the FLA Track Pays

Without SFP, a private guardian's financial resources are:

• Canada Child Benefit and ACFB — available to eligible primary caregivers who meet the CRA and ACFB rules; file annual tax returns and submit CRA Form RC66 for the CCB
• Child support from biological parents — apply under the FLA; enforce through the Maintenance Enforcement Program
• Alberta Income Support — if total household income is low enough
• FSCD — if the child has a qualifying disability, the Family Support for Children with Disabilities program is available regardless of the guardianship track

The PGO vs Private Guardianship Decision

The financial case for moving from a PGO to a Private Guardianship Order is strong. Under a PGO, you receive kinship per diems but cannot claim the CCB or ACFB. After a Private Guardianship Order, you may qualify for SFP basic maintenance subject to the income test, and you can apply for federal and provincial tax benefits if otherwise eligible.

For a child under 6 with a low-income caregiver, that adds roughly $9,600 per year in non-taxable benefits on top of the daily maintenance rate.

The Alberta kinship financial help guide includes a full comparison of PGO, PGA, and Private Guardianship finances, plus the document checklist for each transition.

See more Alberta guides →