My Grandchildren Were Taken by MCFD — How Do I Become Their Caregiver?
As a grandparent, you have the legal right to be considered as a kinship caregiver for your grandchildren. Here is the process for applying, what MCFD will assess, and how to navigate the system to keep your grandchildren in the family.
You have priority as a grandparent over strangers in the placement hierarchy under both BC law and Bill C-92. Contact MCFD immediately to formally offer yourself as a kinship caregiver. Do not wait to be contacted — assert your availability in writing today and request an expedited home study.
When your grandchildren are taken, your instinct is to bring them home. The law supports that instinct. Here is how to act on it.
Assert your interest immediately
Contact your grandchildren’s MCFD worker directly and in writing: “I am [child’s] grandparent and I am available and willing to care for them. I am requesting to be assessed as a kinship caregiver.” Send this by email and keep a copy.
Do not wait for MCFD to reach out to you. MCFD is required to explore family placements, but families who proactively assert their interest move through the process faster.
The kinship home study process
Once you have expressed interest, MCFD will conduct a home study — an assessment of your suitability as a caregiver. This involves:
- A review of your home (safety, sleeping arrangements, space for the children)
- Criminal record check for all adults in the home
- References
- Interviews about your relationship with the children and your capacity to care for them
- Health assessment
The process can take several weeks. Ask MCFD for an estimated timeline and follow up regularly.
Financial support for kinship caregivers
Kinship caregivers in BC receive financial support from MCFD to help with the costs of caring for their grandchildren. This support is designed to prevent financial hardship from being a barrier to family placement. Ask your MCFD worker what the specific support amount would be and what it covers.
If MCFD has already placed the children elsewhere
If your grandchildren have already been placed with a non-family foster family, you can still apply to be their caregiver. The placement hierarchy favors family members, and a late application is better than no application. Ask your lawyer to expedite the process if the children have been placed with strangers.
Your cultural role
As a grandparent, you carry cultural knowledge that no foster placement can replicate. Name this explicitly in your kinship application: your role in transmitting language, ceremony, relationship, and identity to your grandchildren. This is directly relevant under Bill C-92’s cultural continuity requirements.
If you are an Indigenous family navigating child welfare in BC and need peer support, contact KFT-Families Society at [email protected], call Lori at 604-512-3266, or visit keeping-families-together.com. IFISC operates weekly peer support circles, connects families with culturally grounded resources, and provides guidance to parents at every stage of the child welfare process — at no cost.
Frequently asked questions
- Do grandparents have priority over foster families for placement of their grandchildren?
- Yes. BC law and Bill C-92 establish a placement hierarchy that prioritizes family members — including grandparents — over non-family foster placements. MCFD must document why family placements were not possible before placing a child with a stranger. If you have not been contacted by MCFD about your grandchildren's placement, contact them immediately.
- What will MCFD assess when considering me as a kinship caregiver?
- MCFD will conduct a home study that assesses your physical home, your health, your financial stability, your criminal record, and your relationship with your grandchildren. The assessment is not designed to find perfection — it is designed to assess whether your home is safe for your grandchildren and whether you can meet their needs.
- Can I be a kinship caregiver if I have a limited income?
- Yes. Financial hardship alone does not disqualify you as a kinship caregiver. Kinship caregivers receive financial support from MCFD to assist with the costs of caring for children in their placement. The amount varies by the child's age and needs. Ask MCFD specifically what financial support would be available to you.
KFT-Families Society
You do not have to navigate this alone.
IFISC is operated by KFT-Families Society, an Indigenous-led nonprofit founded by people who have navigated the child welfare system firsthand. We run weekly peer support circles and connect families with culturally grounded resources across BC. Reach out — no paperwork, no waitlist.
[email protected] · keeping-families-together.com