Alberta Record

· Bill / New Statutory Role · enacted

Bill 206 — Child and Youth Advocate (Parent and Guardian Advisor) Amendment Act, 2024

Establishes a new Parent and Guardian Advisor role within the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate to support families and identify systemic barriers affecting children's well-being.

Moderate impactInstitutional independenceEducationIndependent watchdogsThe public, directlySchools

What changed

  • Creates the statutory role of a 'Parent and Guardian Advisor' within the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate (s. 6, adding s. 15.61).
  • Defines the Advisor's purpose to support families, promote family stability, and ensure children's best interests (s. 6, adding s. 15.62).
  • Outlines the Advisor's duties, including providing information, assistance, referrals to families, assisting with education programs, and identifying systemic barriers (s. 6, adding s. 15.63, 15.64).
  • Specifies that the Advisor is an employee of the Office, not an officer of the Legislature, and can be removed or suspended by the Advocate (s. 6, adding s. 15.61(2), (3)).
  • Establishes limitations on the Advisor's functions, such as not acting as legal counsel or participating in certain investigations or court matters (s. 6, adding s. 15.65).
  • Requires the Advisor to prepare an annual report for the Advocate, with statistical information to be published on the Advocate's website (s. 6, adding s. 15.67; s. 7).

Why it matters

  • Expands the mandate of the Child and Youth Advocate's office to include a dedicated function for parents and guardians, potentially increasing access to support for families navigating government services.
  • Formalizes a mechanism for identifying and reporting systemic barriers affecting families and children to the Child and Youth Advocate, which could inform policy changes.
  • Clarifies the Advisor's subordinate relationship to the Child and Youth Advocate, as the Advisor is an employee and not an independent officer of the Legislature.
  • Introduces a new layer of reporting and accountability within the Advocate's office regarding family support services.

Other governance concerns

  • Creation of a new statutory role within an independent oversight body
  • Defined scope of duties and limitations for the new role
  • Reporting requirements for the new role
  • Explicit statement that the Advisor is not an officer of the Legislature

Primary sources (1)

Secondary sources (1)