Foster Care Rates Saskatchewan: How Much Do Foster Parents Get Paid
Saskatchewan foster parents do not receive a salary. What they receive is a maintenance payment designed to cover the cost of raising a child in their home. For most families, the question of money sits quietly behind everything else: can we afford to do this? The honest answer is that the system is designed so you shouldn't be out of pocket, but understanding what the payments are and aren't matters before you apply.
Basic Maintenance Rates
Saskatchewan uses separate rate schedules for southern and northern regions, recognising that the cost of living — especially food and heating — is meaningfully higher in communities like La Ronge, Buffalo Narrows, and Pelican Narrows.
| Age Group | Southern Rate (Est. Monthly) | Northern Rate (Est. Monthly) |
|---|---|---|
| 0–5 years | ~$573 | ~$608 |
| 6–11 years | ~$603 | ~$679 |
| 12–15 years | ~$680 | ~$766 |
| 16+ years | ~$767 | ~$878 |
These figures are periodically updated. In 2024, the Ministry announced a $600,000 investment to increase babysitting, respite, and school allowances on top of the base rates.
The figures in the table are monthly estimates, not daily amounts. Current schedules and payment methods can change, so confirm the current amount with your caseworker. Tax treatment depends on the arrangement; confirm it with a qualified tax professional.
PRIDE Levels of Pay
Saskatchewan has moved toward a professionalized "PRIDE Levels of Pay" system that rewards caregivers for completing advanced training and taking on more complex placements. The levels work as supplemental service fees on top of basic maintenance.
| Level | Description | Approximate Monthly Fee (Per Child) |
|---|---|---|
| Level 2 | Basic PRIDE completed; standard care | ~$500 |
| Level 3 | Replaces therapeutic and adolescent parenting supplements | ~$1,300 |
| Level 4 | Exceptional care for complex behavioural needs | ~$2,100 |
| Level 5 | Specialized medical or developmental needs | ~$2,900 |
| Level 6 | Emergency 24-hour or intensive reunification care | Negotiated |
A Level 5 foster parent caring for a child with significant medical needs could receive approximately $3,473 per month ($573 basic maintenance plus $2,900 service fee) for a child under five in the south. For adolescents in the north, the combined figure is higher. These are real numbers that reflect the genuine complexity of specialized foster care — not caregiver wages, but supplemental support linked to the needs of the placement.
What the Payments Cover (and What They Don't)
The basic maintenance rate is intended to cover:
- Food and household meals — the child's share of grocery costs
- Clothing — day-to-day wear; initial and quarterly allowances are available separately
- Shelter — the child's share of your housing costs
- Ordinary transportation — school runs, routine appointments
The payments are explicitly not intended to cover your household's existing expenses — mortgage, car payments, your own groceries before a child arrives. The Ministry requires you to be financially self-sufficient independently of any foster care payments. Relying on foster care as a primary income source would not meet the financial self-sufficiency requirement.
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Supplementary Allowances
Beyond the base rate, foster families can access additional funding for:
- Recreation: sports registrations, music lessons, summer camps
- Travel to medical appointments or family visits: reimbursed at approximately $0.56/km
- Respite care: funding to hire a babysitter or another foster parent for short breaks — expanded in 2024
- Dental, eye care, and prescriptions: covered through the Saskatchewan Health Authority for children in care
- Clothing allowances: separate from the base rate; initial placement and periodic refreshes
Kinship and PSI Rates
Kinship caregivers — grandparents, aunts, uncles, or close family friends who have had a child placed with them by the Ministry — receive financial support similar to traditional foster care maintenance rates. Person of Sufficient Interest (PSI) caregivers, where the court places a child in the permanent care of an individual rather than making them a Crown ward, also receive ongoing financial support at comparable rates with somewhat more legal autonomy.
The Financial Reality Check
For rural Saskatchewan families considering fostering, the numbers make more sense than most people assume. The basic maintenance rate for a 12-year-old in the south (~$680/month) doesn't fully account for the time and energy involved, but combined with the PRIDE levels supplement and supplementary allowances, it is intended to help cover the child's actual costs. Families who advance to Level 3 or Level 4 — typically those caring for children with trauma histories or behavioural complexity — receive payments that better reflect the professional nature of the role.
If you want a complete breakdown of how the payment structure works alongside the application requirements and what the home study process involves, the Saskatchewan Foster Care Guide consolidates all of this in one place, including the current maintenance estimates and how to access supplementary funding.
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