Child actors in B.C.’s recorded entertainment industry will now have a choice between two options for protecting a portion of their income.

Effective immediately, a regulatory change will enable the parents and guardians of children employed in film, radio or television to choose between two trusts to protect a portion of their income: either the Public Guardian and Trustee (PGT) or the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists’ (ACTRA) Minors’ Trust.

B.C. requires employers to set aside a portion of a child actor’s income to be held in trust until the child turns 19. Up until now, the funds have been directed to the PGT. In other Canadian jurisdictions, collective agreements ensure that employers protect a portion of the child actor’s income through ACTRA’s established Minors’ Trust.

ACTRA, the Union of British Columbia Performers, as well as the parents and guardians of child actors who wanted more flexibility in managing their earnings, advocated for this change offering an alternative for safeguarding their financial interests.

By holding a portion of a child actor’s income in trust it ensures that some of the child’s income remains their sole legal property, inaccessible to others.

Quick Facts:

• Under the Employment Standards Regulation, the employer of a child actor in the recorded entertainment industry must ensure that 25% of any earnings more than $2,000 on a production is set aside.
• The amendments do not apply retroactively to funds currently with the PGT, and these funds are not transferable to the Minors’ Trust.
• The ACTRA Performers’ Rights Society administers the Minors’ Trust.
• The live entertainment industry does not have a fund comparable to ACTRA’s Minors’ Trust, so employers of children working in that sector will continue to be required to set aside 25% of any earnings more than $1,000 in a week to be held in trust by the PGT.

Learn More:

To learn more about B.C.’s Employment Standards Regulation, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/employment-standards-advice/employment-standards

To learn more about the Public Guardian and Trustee of B.C., visit: https://www.trustee.bc.ca

To learn more about the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists, visit: https://www.actra.ca

To learn more about the ACTRA Performers’ Rights Society, visit: www.actra.ca/prs