The Province is strengthening safety planning, helping families stay connected, while mitigating safety concerns for children and youth.

Safety plan agreements are voluntary, short-term agreements that are developed in collaboration with parents for the care of the child or youth. These agreements mitigate safety concerns in a way that supports the child or youth to remain safely with their parent, or with a trusted adult (as arranged by their parent), while awaiting the outcome of a child-protection assessment or investigation, or decision on a court order.

In January 2025, the ministry introduced policy changes to strengthen safety planning practices, ensuring children remain safe, while maintaining connections with their families. These amendments to the Child, Family and Community Service Act will clarify and support the practice of safety planning by:

• defining the purpose and scope of safety plans;
• confirming that participation is voluntary;
• if the parent(s) agree, allowing the inclusion of additional parties, such as a child’s Indigenous community;
• improving existing safeguards to protect families, such as:
  • ensuring parents are informed of their ability to access legal advice;
  • making it clear that parents can end the plan at any time;
  • requiring safety plans to be documented and shared with all parties as soon as practicable; and
  • limiting the term of safety plans to 45 days (successive safety plans can be entered in some situations). 

These legislative updates are part of the Province’s ongoing commitment to strengthening services for children, youth and families.