Alberta has introduced legislation proposing changes to how children are placed in government care, how foster and kinship caregivers participate in decisions, and how the province responds to online child sexual exploitation.
Bill 36, the Children and Family Services (Supporting Alberta Families) Statutes Amendment Act, 2026, was introduced by Children and Family Services Minister Searle Turton on Thursday, October 29. It passed first reading but has not become law.
Priority for family and community placements
Under proposed amendments to the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act, children needing an alternative placement would first be considered for care with close relatives or trusted family friends in their community. The government says the change is intended to keep children connected to family, culture and familiar supports wherever a safe placement is possible.
Kinship care can involve a grandparent, other relative or a person with a significant relationship to a child. The proposed amendment would elevate the role of these caregivers in placement decisions, rather than suggesting that every child would automatically be placed with a family member regardless of safety or suitability.
More involvement for children and caregivers
The bill would give children a greater voice in care decisions and strengthen the role of parents, foster caregivers and kinship caregivers in planning. More people who have previously cared for a child would receive notice of relevant court proceedings and could have participation rights in those proceedings.
The government also proposes clearer rules intended to reduce unnecessary court appearances and speed decisions about stable long-term placements. It has not published a quantified estimate of how much faster those placements would occur.
Changes to adoption and access to records
Bill 36 would formally allow adoption openness agreements designed to maintain connections between adopted children and their birth families, former caregivers or Indigenous communities, where appropriate. Adult adoptees and mature minors would also be able to access adoption records more easily, according to the province.
Alberta Native Friendship Centres Association CEO Jeannette MacInnis welcomed prioritizing kinship care, emphasizing the importance of children's connections to family, language and community. The province says the proposals draw on a Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act review committee with participation from Indigenous leaders, caregivers, service providers and legislators from each caucus.
Online exploitation provisions
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. The government says the change is meant to help protection workers recognize risks sooner, provide treatment pathways and support law enforcement.
The update does not mean that online exploitation is currently legal. It would change the scope and terminology of provincial child-protection legislation to reflect digital forms of exploitation.
Four laws affected, with commencement still to come
In addition to the child intervention and sexual exploitation statutes, Bill 36 proposes changes to the Protection Against Family Violence Act to align it with current programs following the end of a review committee, and to the Education Act to recognize foster and kinship caregivers consistently.
The proposal has passed first reading only. It must proceed through the legislature and receive royal assent before becoming law. The government says the amendments would take effect upon proclamation, with no firm proclamation date announced in the October 29 materials.
Bill 36 is separate from Bill 35, introduced the same day. Bill 35 concerns school reporting, parental communication and licensed child-care oversight; Bill 36 primarily addresses child intervention, foster and kinship placements, adoption and protections for sexually exploited children.
Original sources
Government of Alberta: overview of Bill 36 and the proposed changes.
Legislative Assembly of Alberta: Bill 36 introduction and first-reading status.
Government of Alberta: explanation of existing kinship caregiving arrangements.