In Canada, most child welfare services fall under the jurisdiction of provincial and territorial authorities; each province and territory has its own legislation regulating child welfare interventions and services.
On January 1, 2020, the federal Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families (also known as Bill C‐92) came into effect giving First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities the authority to make their own child and family services laws. In 2025, the Supreme Court of Canada affirmed that the Act was constitutionally valid, affirming the inherent right of Indigenous self-government for child and family services.