PSI Maintenance Rates Saskatchewan 2026: What Caregivers Receive

If you hold a Person of Sufficient Interest order in Saskatchewan, you receive monthly maintenance payments at the provincial foster care basic rate — plus several additional allowances. The Ministry of Social Services increased basic maintenance rates by 3% across all family care providers in 2025–26, following a 2% increase the previous year. Here is what caregivers actually receive.

Monthly Basic Maintenance

PSI caregivers receive the same basic monthly maintenance as foster parents, covering food, shelter, clothing, and daily care. The payment amount follows the current provincial basic maintenance schedule; check the amount with your MSS or delegated ICFS office. The Saskatchewan Foster Families Association (SFFA) publishes payment calendars for caregivers.

The 3% increase in 2025–26 applies to all categories of basic maintenance. This followed the 2023 Advocate for Children and Youth investigation, "In Their Sufficient Interest?", which led to the Ministry's PSI Action Plan (2024–2027) and a commitment to improving financial support for extended family caregivers.

Additional Allowances

Beyond basic maintenance, PSI caregivers receive:

• School fee allowance: An annual payment covering registration, core supplies, and specialized course fees
• Holiday allowance: An annual lump sum issued before the holiday season for gift purchases
• Supplementary health coverage: Full provincial coverage for prescription drugs, basic dental, annual optical, and medical supplies — through the Ministry's Supplementary Health Benefits program, not the standard provincial health plan
• Special needs and respite care: Separately assessed on a case-by-case basis; requires prior approval from MSS based on documented physical, emotional, or developmental needs
• Babysitting support: Available upon separate application for approved employment or emergency situations

Payment Distribution

Maintenance payments for extended family care are processed on fixed monthly schedules through the Saskatchewan Foster Families Association (SFFA) administrative portal. The SFFA publishes payment calendars showing exact deposit dates — which matters when you are budgeting month to month.

Use the current SFFA calendar to check the expected release date. If a payment is missing, contact your MSS or delegated ICFS office about the Extended Family Support Agreement.

Tax and Income Rules

PSI maintenance is:

• Non-taxable under paragraph 81(1)(h) of the federal Income Tax Act — do not report it as income on your tax return
• Excluded from SIS and SAID means testing — your PSI payments do not reduce Saskatchewan Income Support (SIS) or Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability (SAID)
• Non-means-tested — your own pension, employment earnings, or personal savings do not reduce the PSI maintenance rate

This combination makes PSI maintenance uniquely valuable. Unlike the Canada Child Benefit (which phases out with income) or Saskatchewan Income Support (which is means-tested), PSI payments arrive at the same rate regardless of what else you earn.

What PSI Maintenance Does Not Cover

PSI maintenance covers day-to-day care costs, but it does not cover:

• Legal fees if you need to go to court
• Transportation costs for visits with biological parents (unless specifically funded by MSS)
• Post-secondary education once the child turns 18

The major gap is at age 18, when PSI maintenance ends automatically. Unlike permanent wards, who can access support up to age 21, PSI youth face an abrupt cutoff. The Ministry declined the Advocate's recommendation to extend this to age 21.

How PSI Compares to Informal Care

If you are raising a child informally (no court order), you receive zero from the Ministry. Your main income support for the child is the Canada Child Benefit (up to $7,787 per year for a child under 6, income-tested) and whatever general provincial benefits you qualify for (SIS, SEI).

Under a PSI order, compare the maintenance amount in your agreement with the CCB amount the household would otherwise receive. The CCB is unavailable for that child while the Ministry claims the federal Children's Special Allowance; PSI maintenance is not reduced by caregiver income.

The Saskatchewan Kinship Financial Help Guide breaks down the exact comparison between PSI and non-PSI financial paths, including a decision framework for caregivers weighing their options.

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