Kinship Services are when a known caregiver (other family members, individuals familiar to the child/youth, or parent/guardian) provides in-home care to a child/youth who requires an out-of-home placement, while their primary caregivers address challenges, or due to a protection concern brought forward by family, or the Agency. Kinship Caregivers/Providers are known to the child/youth, and can be (not limited to):

  • Immediate Family (Grandparents)
  • Extended Family (Aunt, Uncle, In-Laws, Cousins)
  • Friend
  • Clan/Membership/Community Affiliation
  • Significant social connection
  • Someone who has played a significant role in the life of the child/youth
View Kinship Services Brochure

Kinship Caregivers/Providers ensure that children/youth remain connected with their family, extended family, heritage, culture, and traditions. This helps build a sense of belonging, safety, and security for children. It is the Agency’s goal to have children/youth remain with families and in their communities.

Kinship Service families are eligible to receive temporary care allowance through Ontario works, the Child Tax benefit and are further supported by a Kinship Service worker who will help guide them through the process.

The Rights of Anishinaabe children and youth are inherent and forever in all our care practices. Click here to view Rights Poster.

All My Relations – Kinship Services

  • Niijaansinanik Kinship Workers will assist with the family search, connections, assessment, and support for a family who may be already caring or being prepared to care for child(ren)/youth.

First Nation family structures naturally have children, youth, and families surrounded by their family, extended family, community, clan, and Nation to support healthy lifestyles and positive outcomes.

All My Relations – Historically, and currently, communities have strong family values that tie together families, clans, blood, and non-blood relatives in sharing a collective responsibility towards caring for children/youth.

The top priority is to ensure the safety, comfort, and well-being of children and youth. Comfort is building and maintaining a sense of belonging, safety, health, happiness, and security, within a familiar home.

Kinship Service arrangements are intended to be short-term, however, other avenues may be discussed if protection concerns within the family are not resolved, or other options may be explored for the well-being and permanency of the child/youth. Many families work well on their own to make plans for children/youth to be cared for while their parents or primary caregivers address issues. If it is determined that the current place a child/youth is residing is not safe to remain in, the family, band representative, and kinship worker can collaborate to find suitable caregivers to provide care.  A Kinship Assessment will be completed to ensure the identified place is suitable and safe, both culturally and positively to meet the child/youth’s needs.