Who can enrol in the BC Family Maintenance Agency (BCFMA)?

Last updated on September 19, 2025

Anyone with a support order or agreement can enrol in BCFMA at no cost. Some clients enrol with BCFMA to receive help with securing family support payments. Others enrol simply because it’s easier to have BCFMA collect and track their payments.

There are only two requirements:

  • Either parent can enrol, as long as one of the parties lives in B.C.
  • There is a valid support order or agreement from Canada or elsewhere that can be collected by B.C.

The person receiving support is called the recipient. The person paying support is called the payor.

A recipient living outside B.C. should enrol in the maintenance program where they live. BCFMA can take steps to collect support payments on behalf of that maintenance program when the payor lives in B.C.

If the payor or recipient’s whereabouts is unknown, BCFMA can request a search from the Locate Services program. The program will use a variety of federal and provincial databases. BCFMA can request a search for location, employment and assets.