How health professionals can support kinship caregivers.
The person who knows the child's daily health needs may not be the parent. Good care begins by clarifying the caregiver's role without making assumptions about consent or authority.
Part of our For Professionals resource series. See the main For Professionals guide for the wider topic and related resources.
Professional resource reviewed September 2026. PEI laws, programs and service processes can change, so use the linked official source when a current rule matters.
Ask who provides the child's day-to-day care before assuming who can make decisions.
The adult bringing a child to appointments may be a grandparent or another kinship caregiver who knows the child's routines, medications and symptoms better than anyone else. That practical knowledge does not automatically answer the legal question of consent.
Separate three questions.
Who knows the child?
Identify the person managing medications, appointments, routines and day-to-day observations.
Who can consent?
Clarify legal authority for the specific treatment or release of information instead of assuming family relationship equals consent.
Who needs information?
Share personal health information only as permitted by law, consent and the needs of care.
Privacy rules still apply when the caregiver is family.
Health PEI states that personal health information is confidential and is collected, used and disclosed only as permitted by law for care or health-system purposes. Health records may be requested by an authorized legal substitute decision-maker, such as a parent or guardian, where the person cannot consent for themselves.
Expect incomplete histories.
A child may arrive with missing immunization records, unknown family medical history, medications in a bag, multiple prescribers or no clear timeline. Help the caregiver reconstruct the record without treating missing information as negligence by the current caregiver.
Older caregivers may have their own health limits.
Consider whether treatment plans assume the caregiver can drive repeatedly, lift the child, manage complex technology or attend multiple appointments across the Island. Ask what is realistic and whether appointments can be coordinated, virtual or supported in another way.
Trauma can affect the appointment itself.
Children with disrupted caregiving may be sensitive to touch, separation, closed doors, raised voices or unexpected procedures. Explain what will happen, offer age-appropriate choices and ask the caregiver what helps the child stay regulated.
Include the child appropriately.
A caregiver's presence does not eliminate the child's need for privacy, dignity or age-appropriate participation. Ask sensitive questions in a way that protects the child from being pulled into adult family conflict.
Do not send the caregiver back and forth between systems unnecessarily.
When consent permits, coordinate with school, specialists, Public Health Nursing, Student Well-being Teams or other services instead of asking the caregiver to repeatedly carry the same information between professionals.
Make the next step explicit.
Before the family leaves, make sure they know who is responsible for referrals, what document is missing, when follow-up should happen and who to call if the situation changes.
Canadian youth have identified what makes health interactions feel safer.
The Canadian Paediatric Society's 2026 trauma-informed care resources emphasize safe spaces, safe interactions, sensitive conversations and youth participation. Our caregiver-facing guide translates those ideas into appointment preparation for kinship families.
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