How to Apply

If you have decided you would like to pursue being a caregiver, there are a number of steps you need to take. You will need to:

A. Choose a licensing agency.

There are several agencies in Manitoba that are looking for caregivers. As a potential caregiver, you have a right to choose which agency you wish to be licensed by. In order to do this, you will need to have some understanding of how the child and family services system is organized in Manitoba.

In Manitoba, provision of child and family services is jointly shared between four Authorities. The purpose of this sharing of responsibility is to ensure the provision of culturally-appropriate services to families in this province. The four Authorities are:

  1. First Nations of Northern Manitoba Child and Family Services Authority (Primarily provides services to families who are members of, or identified with, First Nation communities in northern Manitoba, or who come from another province other than Ontario).
  2. First Nations of Southern Manitoba Child and Family Services Authority, also known as the Southern First Nations Network of Care (Primarily provides services to families who are members of, or identified with, First Nation communities in southern Manitoba and Ontario).
  3. Metis Child and Family Services Authority (Primarily provides services to families of Metis or Inuit heritage).
  4. General Child and Family Services Authority (Provides services to all others who are not being serviced by another Authority).

Each Authority oversees two or more agencies. These agencies provide direct services to children and families throughout the province.  Not all Authorities have an agency in all parts of the province. You will find a listing of the Authorities and their respective agencies that provide services in your area on this website.

Choosing which agency to license you is entirely a personal decision.  Some questions you may ask yourself to help you decide are:

  1. Which agency is most closely aligned to my family’s cultural heritage?
  2. Which agency is located closest to my residence?
  3. Which agency requires the type of caregiving services my family wishes to provide?
  4. Which agency offers the type of support services my family requires?
  5. Which agency needs the type of caregiving services my family is interested in providing? (Please note, an agency can decline applications if they have enough caregivers.)

Please feel free to contact the agencies in your area for more information about their needs and requirements to assist you in making a decision.  However, please remember that you can only be licensed by one agency. Therefore, you should make a decision about which agency you wish to license you for before completing any of the licensing/application paperwork.

B. After you have chosen a licensing agency.

The following steps are part of the process of being licensed as either a kinship or foster family. Each agency has its own way of accomplishing these steps and there may be some variation based on whether you are interested in kinship or foster care. An agency worker will guide you through this process.

If you successfully complete the above steps, you are approved and a Foster Home Licence is issued.

C. Once You Have Been Approved as a Foster or Kinship Home

Once you have been approved, the agency that issued your license will contact you about children who need a home.

*Important* If another CFS agency wants to place a child in your home, they must first receive approval from your licensing agency.

The licensing agency has the responsibility to: 

What financial support is available for children in Care?

It is understood that there is a financial cost associated with providing care to all children.  Funds are available in the form of a basic payment to help offset some of these costs; however, it is important to note that monies provided are not meant to be an income for caregiving families.

There are two parts to the basic payment you will receive for children placed in your care. These are the basic payment and the agency allowance. The basic payment is also known as the chart of accounts. 

  1. The basic payment is an amount that is paid to you directly and covers the additional maintenance costs of caring for a child in care. It includes:
    • Household allowance
    • Bedding and linen
    • Repair, equipment and room maintenance
    • Utilities
    • Food
    • Health and personal care
    • Transportation
    • Respite
    • Replacement clothing
    • Personal allowance
    • Babysitting / child care
    • Damage / deductibles
    The current chart of accounts is outlined in the table below:
    FOSTER CARE RATE 2012/2013 (Effective October 1, 2012)
     PAYABLE TO FOSTER PARENTSNORTH OF 53 East of Lake Winnipeg
    CHART OF ACCOUNTSSOUTH OF 53NORTH OF 53 (road access)N51 12' (no road access)
     0-1011-170-1011-170-1011-17
    Household Allowance0.590.590.610.610.610.61
    Bedding and Linen0.600.600.640.640.640.64
    Repairs and Equipment1.191.311.231.371.231.37
    Utilities1.381.381.451.451.451.45
    Food7.229.177.9610.1010.5013.31
    Health and Personal Care0.691.090.721.130.721.13
    Transportation2.052.052.132.132.132.13
    Respite2.362.362.502.502.502.50
    Replacement Clothing2.432.992.523.172.523.17
    Personal Allowance0.852.010.922.100.922.10
    Babysitting / Child Care1.541.541.641.641.641.64
    Damages / Deductibles1.212.361.282.451.282.45
    TOTAL TO FOSTER PARENT22.1127.4523.6029.2926.1432.50
  2. Agency allowance is an amount that is available to the agency for children’s individual needs. Each agency has its own policy on how agency allowance is used. Some provide this funding directly to caregivers to manage, while others retain this funding at the agency level. If you have children placed in your home from different agencies, it will be important to be clear about the policies of each child’s agency in the following areas:
    • Gifts for children on their birthdays and Christmas (or equivalent)
    • School-related costs (e.g. physical education classes, driver’s education course fees, other course fees, tutoring, school supplies, locker fees, field trips and clothing for graduation)
    • Costs of participating in sports and other extra-curricular activities (e.g. uniforms and equipment, bicycles, hobbies, arts and crafts, summer camp fees)
    • Gifts for the child to give to members of her/his biological family and caregiving family

    Should your child require supports and services beyond that which would normally be provided in a caregiving situation, agencies will determine what the level of need is and provide funding and services to cover these needs (e.g., specialized services such as psychological therapy, a child support worker, specialized equipment, or specialized diet).

What about health costs?

When a child is placed in your home, you will be provided with the child’s Personal Health Insurance Number (PHIN).  If you are caring for a child with Registered Indian Status, request the Indian Status Number from the caseworker.  Items such as health, dental, and optical are covered under the registered status number.

If the agency is paying, the caseworker will provide you with a social allowance number which covers prescriptions, dental and optometrist services.