Alberta proposes stronger kinship care and online child-protection rules in Bill 36

Alberta has introduced Bill 36, the Supporting Alberta Families Statutes Amendment Act, proposing changes to how vulnerable children are placed and protected. Announced October 29, the legislation would give priority to placement with relatives or trusted family friends when child-intervention services are required. It would also give children, families and kinship caregivers a greater voice in care plans and simplify certain steps toward long-term placements. The government says maintaining family and community ties can improve stability for children who cannot safely remain in their original homes.

The proposal would also allow greater continuity of relationships following adoption, including openness agreements that can preserve connections with birth relatives, former caregivers and Indigenous communities. Separately, amendments to the Protection of Sexually Exploited Children Act would update provincial definitions to address online grooming, cyber luring, trafficking and digital harassment. Those changes are meant to give protection workers clearer authority to identify and respond to exploitation taking place through digital channels. The provisions remain proposals until the legislature passes them.

The new approach could be especially consequential for Indigenous children, whose relationships with extended family, community and culture have been central issues in child welfare. The Alberta Native Friendship Centres Association has welcomed the emphasis on kinship care. But placement priorities alone are not sufficient: caregivers also need financial support, training and access to services. Whether the legislation improves stability will depend on implementation and transparent reporting of long-term outcomes, not merely on how many children are placed with relatives.

Sources: alberta.ca