Bill 36, the Supporting Alberta Families Statutes Amendment Act 2026 proposes legislative amendments to improve child intervention services, support family connections and strengthen protections for vulnerable children and youth. If passed, amendments to the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act would prioritize placing children with relatives or trusted family friends, give families and caregivers a greater role in placement decisions and simplify processes to help children find stable, long-term homes. Proposed amendments to the Protection of Sexually Exploited Children Act would strengthen protections for children against online sexual exploitation and abuse.
“Every child deserves to grow up feeling safe, supported and connected to the people who care about them. When children need intervention services, keeping them close to family and community wherever possible can make a lasting difference. These changes would recognize the important role of kinship caregivers, give families a greater voice in planning and help provide the stability children need to thrive.”
Family-centered child intervention
The proposed amendments to the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act (CYFEA) are informed by an expert review committee and clinical best practices to improve stability and connection for children and families receiving intervention services. If passed, the legislation would prioritize kinship placements. Children would first be placed with close relatives or trusted family friends in their community. It would also help children keep family ties after adoption by legislating the allowance of openness agreements, which support ongoing connections with birth families, former caregivers and Indigenous communities. Adult and mature minor adoptees would also be able to access their records more easily.
“Children first find belonging with their family. Grandparents, aunties and uncles, siblings and trusted friends in the community help them learn language, ceremonies, and who they are. Prioritizing kinship care keeps our children close to home and to the roots they need to grow strong.”
The legislation would also give children a stronger voice in decisions that affect them and increase the involvement of families and caregivers in planning their care. Under Bill 36, foster and kinship caregivers would be included in care planning, and eligible caregivers would receive court notifications and participation rights. Clearer legal rules would simplify the path to long-term placements by eliminating unnecessary court appearances, reducing uncertainty and stress for families. These proposed amendments are based on the recommendations of the CYFEA review committee, which included representatives of Indigenous communities, guardians, caregivers and service providers, as well as MLAs from each caucus.
“Through the collaborative work of the review committee, Indigenous community leaders, caregivers and experts shared their time, experience and wisdom to address complex challenges and meet the needs of Alberta’s young people. I am pleased to see this work leading to meaningful improvements.”
Protecting children and youth from online exploitation
Proposed amendments to the Protection of Sexually Exploited Children Act would update the definition of child sexual exploitation to include online harms such as grooming, cyber luring, trafficking and digital harassment. This would help practitioners intervene earlier when a child is being targeted and identify pathways to treatment. It would also support law enforcement in addressing threats to the health and safety of children.
“The Ministry of Children and Family Services’ updated definition explicitly recognizes the ways children and youth can be targeted online. This is an important positive step toward helping those responsible for child and youth protection to identify the ever-changing landscape of technology-facilitated, as well as in-person, child exploitation and responds to how children and youth are being targeted and the harms they can experience.”
Improving consistency across legislation
Amendments to the Protection Against Family Violence Act would ensure family violence-related legislation reflects current policy and practice, following the completion of the Family Violence Death review committee’s work and its dissolution on Dec. 31, 2025. This work is now being advanced through other initiatives. By reducing duplication, resources can be redirected to front-line supports for victims of family violence.
Bill 36 would also update the Education Act to recognize foster and kinship caregivers consistently. Together, the proposed amendments would improve consistency and accountability to help ensure Alberta’s children and youth receive appropriate support and protection.
Quick facts
- If passed, Bill 36 will amend four acts:
- the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act,
- the Protection of Sexually Exploited Children Act,
- the Protection Against Family Violence Act, and
- the Education Act.
- The Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act and the Protection of Sexually Exploited Children Act enable services in support of children who are abused, exploited, neglected or otherwise in need of intervention.
- CYFEA includes a requirement that the act be reviewed every five years.
Related information
- Improving safety and stability for children
- Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act review committee