Health care gets complicated quickly when the caregiver is not the child’s parent.
Good records, clear consent authority and the right professional supports can prevent unnecessary gaps in care.
Guided help: Return to the School & health route.
Information reviewed September 2026. Program rules can change, so use the linked official source for eligibility and current requirements.
Build a basic health record as soon as you can
Gather the child's PEI health card information, medications, allergies, immunization records, family doctor or nurse practitioner, specialists, dentist, pharmacy and upcoming appointments. Ask the parent or professionals involved for missing information where appropriate.
Clarify who can consent
Day-to-day caregiving does not automatically answer every consent question. A clinic, hospital, dentist or counsellor may need proof of custody, guardianship or another authorization. Ask what documentation they require before a non-urgent appointment if the legal arrangement is unclear.
Know where to start in PEI
811 for health information
If you are unsure what to do about a non-emergency health issue, PEI advises calling 8-1-1 for health information.
Mental Health and Addictions Phone Line
Call 1-833-553-6983, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Trained mental health professionals provide information, support and help finding services. No family doctor is required to call.
Open Access Counselling
PEI offers open-access mental health and addictions counselling. Availability and hours vary by location, so check the current government page before travelling.
Open Access CounsellingMental Health and Addictions Patient Navigator
The Health PEI Patient Navigator can help Islanders understand mental health and addictions services and find a reasonable starting point. Call 902-218-3289 or email MHApatientnavigator@ihis.org.
Mental Health and Addictions ServicesMental Health and Addictions Emergency Department
The Mental Health and Addictions Emergency Department beside the QEH Emergency Department provides 24/7 emergency and urgent care for mental health, addictions and substance-use crises. Enter through the QEH Emergency Department main entrance and go to the triage desk.
Mental Health and Addictions Emergency DepartmentFamily Ties
For eligible children involved with Child and Family Services, Family Ties provides trauma-informed counselling, family sessions and parenting psychoeducation.
Family TiesMental health programs for children and youth
Health PEI offers several services specifically for children and youth. Eligibility and referral requirements differ by program, so use the official program information or the Mental Health and Addictions Patient Navigator if you are unsure where to begin.
Child and Youth Psychiatric Unit
The Child and Youth Psychiatric Unit at QEH provides acute inpatient psychiatric care for children and youth under 18 who require hospitalization because of mental health concerns. For current access information, contact Mental Health and Addictions Services or the Patient Navigator.
Mental Health Support and ServicesINSIGHT Program
INSIGHT is an intensive day-treatment program for youth ages 13 to 18 with significant and persistent mental health concerns. The typical length of stay is up to four months, with the youth's family and school involved in treatment planning.
INSIGHT Program for YouthStrength Program
The Strength Program in Summerside is a 16-week program for youth ages 15 to 24 who need more intensive support for substance misuse and mental health concerns. It offers residential and day-treatment programming and requires referral through an eligible service provider.
Strength ProgramChildren with complex needs
PEI's Children with Complex Needs Navigation Program can help families of eligible children under 18 navigate medical and non-medical services when a physical, developmental, behavioural or emotional condition substantially affects daily life. The navigator can help with education, advocacy and referrals, although the program cannot provide medical care or shorten wait lists.
Children with Complex Needs Navigation Program
Disability-related supports
AccessAbility Supports may be relevant for children with qualifying disabilities and substantial daily-living impairments. Supports can include personal, community, caregiver and assistive-device needs depending on eligibility and the approved support plan.
Keep care coordinated
If several professionals are involved, keep a one-page list of providers, medications, diagnoses or working concerns, appointment dates and major recommendations. Ask who is responsible for referrals and follow-up so important tasks do not fall between systems.
In an emergency
Trusted external resources
Keep going with the next question.
Family violence and safety
Find crisis, outreach and victim-support services.
Read: Family violence and safetyKeep planning around the whole child.
Disability & additional needs
Bring disability supports, complex-needs navigation, DTC and school planning together.
Read: Disability & additional needsRaising a teenager
See how health, school, privacy and independence change in adolescence.
Read: Raising a teenagerOnline safety
Technology can become part of mental health, bullying and safety concerns.
Read: Online safetyAnother part of the same family story.
Parental mental illness
Support the child and manage safety when a parent's mental health is part of the caregiving story.
Read: Parental mental illnessSupporting 2SLGBTQ+ youth
Privacy, school support, caregiver learning and PEI community resources.
Read: Supporting 2SLGBTQ+ youthUnderstanding the family story
Help children make sense of difficult experiences without carrying adult responsibility.
Read: Understanding the family storyMore help for the next part of this situation.
Youth suicide & self-harm crisis
Immediate PEI and national options when a young person may not be safe.
Read: Youth suicide & self-harm crisisBabies & toddlers
Public Health Nursing, safe sleep, development and current infant guidance.
Read: Babies & toddlersFASD & prenatal exposure
Assessment, disability and school supports for neurodevelopmental needs.
Read: FASD & prenatal exposureHealth, disability and mental-health support
These guides bring together the main health, developmental, disability and crisis topics that kinship caregivers may need.
Disability & additional needs
Read Disability & additional needsFASD & prenatal substance exposure
Read FASD & prenatal substance exposureYouth suicide & self-harm crisis
Read Youth suicide & self-harm crisisBabies & toddlers in kinship care
Read Babies & toddlers in kinship careWhen a parent has serious mental illness
Read When a parent has serious mental illnessSupporting 2SLGBTQ+ and gender-diverse youth
Read Supporting 2SLGBTQ+ and gender-diverse youthOverdose & naloxone safety
Read Overdose & naloxone safetyYou 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.
Use the FASD guide that matches the problem in front of you.
FASD in kinship care
Assessment, behaviour, school, caregiver wellbeing and long-term planning in one PEI-first hub.
Open FASD hubFASD assessment & diagnosis
What to gather, where to start in PEI and how to support the child while assessment questions are being worked through.
Open assessment guideMedical and dental visits can be made safer and more predictable.
Preparation, realistic choices, fewer surprises and clear communication can reduce fear for children who have experienced trauma or repeated loss of control.
Jordan's Principle may help when an eligible First Nations child has an unmet health need.
The same principle can also apply to social and educational needs. Do not assume the child is ineligible because they are living with kin or away from reserve.
Was this page helpful?
One quick response helps us see which guides are working and where caregivers are still getting stuck.