Respite Care for Kinship Caregivers in Alberta

Why Respite Matters More for Kinship Caregivers

Most kinship caregivers did not plan to be raising a child at this stage of life. A grandparent on a fixed pension, an aunt juggling her own kids, a sibling stepping in during a crisis — all of them took on a child because the alternative was a stranger's foster home. The emotional weight is real, and physical exhaustion follows close behind.

Respite care gives you a break. A few hours, a weekend, sometimes longer — time to rest, attend a medical appointment, or simply breathe. Alberta has funded respite programs, but what you can access depends on your care arrangement and the child's needs.

Respite Through Formal Kinship Care (CYFEA Placements)

If the child was placed with you through Children and Family Services (CFS) or a Delegated First Nation Agency (DFNA), you are an approved kinship caregiver under the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act. Your placement includes:

• A babysitting/relief per diem of $2.82 per day per child (as of April 1, 2026), credited automatically
• Individual babysitting reimbursement at $6.50 per hour per child, up to $65 per day per child (capped at $195 per day per home)

These amounts are built into the kinship care support plan. You claim them through your caseworker — keep receipts or records of the hours used.

Respite Through Supports for Permanency (SFP)

If you obtained a private guardianship order for a child who was previously under a Permanent Guardianship Order (PGO) or Permanent Guardianship Agreement (PGA), your SFP agreement includes up to 576 hours of respite care per year per family. That works out to roughly 11 hours per week.

SFP respite is funded at regionally approved rates — your SFP coordinator will confirm what the rate covers in your area. The respite provider can be a licensed respite agency, a trained individual, or in some cases a trusted family member (check with your coordinator on what qualifies).

The 576-hour respite entitlement is available even if your household income exceeds the $180,000 threshold for SFP basic maintenance. The income test applies only to the basic maintenance payment — all supplementary supports, including respite, remain fully accessible regardless of income.

Respite Through FSCD (Disability-Related)

If the child in your care has a diagnosed disability, the Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) program provides respite funding as part of the child's Family Support Plan. FSCD respite is separate from — and can be received alongside — kinship care or SFP respite.

FSCD respite funding is tailored to the child's needs. A child with complex care requirements may receive more hours than a child with moderate needs. Your FSCD worker will assess the situation and set the funding level.

You do not need a court order or CFS involvement to access FSCD. It is available to any Alberta family raising a child with a qualifying disability at home, including informal kinship caregivers.

Informal Kinship Caregivers: What's Available

If you are caring for a child without CFS involvement and without a court order, you do not have access to kinship care per diems or SFP respite hours. Your options are more limited but not zero:

• FSCD: If the child has a disability, apply regardless of your care arrangement.
• Community-based respite: Organizations like the Alberta Foster and Kinship Association (AFKA), local family resource centres, and faith-based groups sometimes offer volunteer respite or low-cost childcare programs.
• Alberta Supports emergency assistance: In a crisis, Alberta Supports may consider discretionary help with immediate essentials through the Emergency Needs Allowance. Call 1-866-644-5135 for 24/7 emergency income support, or 1-877-644-9992 for the Alberta Supports Contact Centre.

Finding Respite Providers

Alberta does not maintain a central respite provider registry. To find respite services in your area:

• Ask your CFS caseworker or FSCD worker for approved provider lists
• Contact 211 Alberta (dial 2-1-1 or visit 211.ca) for local family support services
• Reach out to CANGRANDS (639-318-0435) or your local grandparents support group — peer caregivers often know which services are available and reliable in your community

Getting All Your Supports Lined Up

Respite is one piece of a larger support picture. Depending on your arrangement, you may also qualify for kinship care per diems, the Canada Child Benefit, Alberta Child and Family Benefit, and Income Support. The Alberta Kinship Financial Help Guide walks through every program and shows which ones apply to your situation.

See more Alberta guides →