I just became responsible for a child. What do I do first?
You do not have to solve every legal, financial, school and family issue today. Start with safety, immediate needs, basic documents and the next right call.
Information reviewed September 2026. Program rules can change, so use the linked official source for eligibility and current requirements.
Start with today, not the next ten years
Kinship care often begins during a family crisis. You may be trying to find clothes, arrange school, understand medication, answer a social worker and reassure a frightened child at the same time. The first goal is not to solve the entire future. It is to make the next few days safer and more organized.
1. Make sure the child is safe
Know where the child will sleep, who is supervising them, what medications or allergies matter, and whether there are immediate child protection, medical or mental health concerns.
2. Gather the paperwork you can
Ask for the child's health card information, birth certificate, school information, medication list, health providers, emergency contacts and any existing custody, guardianship or child protection documents.
3. Clarify your authority
Find out who can make school, health, travel and other decisions. A verbal family arrangement may not be enough for every institution.
4. Check financial supports early
Household costs change immediately. The Canada Child Benefit and, in eligible child protection placements, PEI's GACP program are important early questions.
Create one caregiver folder
Use a binder, secure digital folder or both. Keep copies of court orders or agreements, social worker contacts, benefit applications, school records, health information and important emails. Write the date on notes from phone calls. When several systems are involved, good records save enormous time.
Tell the school enough to help
Make sure the school knows who the day-to-day caregiver is, who should be contacted, and what documentation they need for consent and information sharing. You can explain that the child has experienced a major family transition without sharing every private detail.
Get the health basics together
Confirm medications, allergies, health card information, current providers and upcoming appointments. If you are unsure whether you can consent to treatment, ask the provider what documentation they require and get legal information rather than guessing.
Expect the child to have mixed feelings
A child can feel safer with you and still miss, defend, worry about or want contact with a parent. Changes in sleep, behaviour, eating, school performance or mood can happen during major family disruption. Predictable routines and calm boundaries are useful, but persistent or severe distress deserves professional support.
Build your support team early
Write down the people and services around you: relatives, school contacts, social workers, health providers, legal information, trusted friends, counsellors and peer support. Other kinship caregivers can be particularly useful because they understand the paperwork and the emotional complexity.
A practical first-week checklist
- Confirm immediate safety and where the child will stay.
- Get medications, allergies and health information.
- Notify the school or child care provider.
- Clarify who can consent and make decisions.
- Ask whether Child Protection or GACP is involved.
- Check Canada Child Benefit eligibility.
- Save all documents and contact names in one place.
- Identify at least one person you can call for practical help.
What do you need to sort out next?
You have the first-week basics. From here, choose the problem that is taking up the most attention today.
Trusted external resources
Keep going with the next question.
What is a grandfamily?
Understand the terminology and the different people who may step in to raise a child.
Read: What is a grandfamily?Informal care vs GACP
Find out why privately arranged kinship care is different from a GACP placement.
Read: Informal care vs GACPDocuments and travel
Build the paperwork folder you may need for passports, travel and proof of authority.
Read: Documents and travelMore help for the next part of this situation.
Understanding Child Protection
Know what changes when the placement is connected to Child Protection.
Read: Understanding Child ProtectionBabies & toddlers
Current safe-sleep, health and development guidance if the child is very young.
Read: Babies & toddlersTaxes for caregivers
Update CRA and keep the records that may matter at tax time.
Read: Taxes for caregiversPEI: Who Do I Call?
Child Protection, mental health, legal help, GACP, family violence, school support and 211 in one quick-contact directory.
Starting out with kinship care
These are the strongest starting pages for a caregiver who has just become responsible for a child or is still trying to understand the arrangement.
What is a grandfamily?
Read What is a grandfamily?Informal kinship care vs GACP
Read Informal kinship care vs GACPPEI: Who do I call?
Read PEI: Who do I call?Caregiver tools & downloads
Read Caregiver tools & downloadsKinship care pathways in PEI
Read Kinship care pathways in PEIIf you are asked to take a child today
Read If you are asked to take a child todayHelp me find the right support
Read Help me find the right supportYou do not have to know which system to call first.
Tell Building GRAND-Families what you are trying to sort out and we can help point you toward reliable information and services.
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