Bill 36: The Child and Family Services Amendment Act

This bill primarily affects Indigenous-governed child and family services organizations and agencies operating under Manitoba's child welfare system. Organizations providing kinship care, customary care, voluntary care, or acting as temporary or permanent guardians will now be required to continue offering care and maintenance to young adults up to age 21 rather than stopping at 18. Indigenous service providers operating under self-governance agreements will gain new formal pathways to assume jurisdiction over children currently under provincial supervision or guardianship. The day-to-day work affected includes case management, care placement coordination, and administrative handoffs between provincial agencies and Indigenous governing bodies. Larger child welfare agencies with multiple active guardianship files will feel the most operational impact, particularly around extended care planning and formal transition documentation.