Voluntary Child and Family Service Agreements

As of October 1, 2024, new types of agreements have been added to the Child and Family Services (CFS) Act. These agreements follow federal placement priority principles for Indigenous children and families and give provincial CFS agencies more options to help families and keep children out of care, without going to court. These new agreements support children by:

• Keeping them with their parents at home, or
• Placing them in a kinship arrangement, or
• For Indigenous families, placing them in Customary Care when the other options are not possible.

Parents retain guardianship under these agreements and are actively involved in planning for their children’s care.

Interim Standards

Temporary provincial standards will be in place for one year. During this time, provincial CFS agencies will work with Indigenous Nations to develop their own standards and policies for using these agreements.

Alternate Decision-Making

In kinship or Customary Care agreements, parents can transfer decision-making authority to a caregiver. This ensures the child’s needs are met in urgent situations like:

• Emergency medical care: A caregiver may be authorized to consent to treatments if the child is sick or injured.
• School activities: Caregivers can sign permission forms for events like field trips.

Each agreement will clearly outline the caregiver’s decision-making responsibilities. Caregivers can request written confirmation from the CFS agency to support their role.

For more information on how a voluntary CFS agreement may support your family, contact your local child and family services agency. A worker can explain the process and answer any specific questions you may have.

Resources

• Overview of Agreements PDF
• Child and Family Services Standards 1.2.0 sections six though nine (valid until October 1, 2025)