Municipalities may establish and run family and community support services programs, while the Minister can fund, oversee, and make agreements about those programs.
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES ACT Chapter F‑3 Table of Contents 1 Definitions 2 Powers of municipalities 3 Agreements 4 Advances to municipalities 5 Examination of books and records 6 Audited financial statements 7 Regulations HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, enacts as follows: Definitions 1 In this Act, (a) “Minister” means the Minister determined under section 16 of the Government Organization Act as the Minister responsible for this Act; (b) “municipality” means (i) a city, town, village, summer village, municipal district, specialized municipality or Metis settlement; (ii) in respect of an improvement district, the Minister responsible for the Municipal Government Act , (iii) in respect of a special area, the Minister responsible for the Special Areas Act , (iv) a school board, a hospital operator or provincial health agency or regional health authority under the Provincial Health Agencies Act in respect of a national park of Canada, or (v) the Government of Canada in respect of an Indian reserve; (c) “program” means a family and community support services program determined in accordance with section 7(a). RSA 2000 cF-3 s1;2022 c14 s2;2024 c10 s15;2025 c10 s19 Powers of municipalities 2 A municipality may (a) provide for the establishment, administration and operation of a family and community support services program within the municipality, and (b) enter into agreements with other municipalities to provide for the establishment, administration and operation of joint family and community support services programs. 1981 cF‑1.1 s2 Agreements 3 (1) Subject to subsection (4), the Minister may enter into agreements with municipalities for the establishment, administration and operation of programs. (2 ) Where 2 or more municipalities have entered into an agreement under section 2(b), the Minister may enter into an agreement with one municipality acting on behalf of the other municipality or municipalities for the establishment, administration and operation of a program. (3) Where, pursuant to an agreement mentioned in subsection (1) or (2), a municipality provides for the establishment, administration and operation of a program in a manner that is satisfactory to the Minister, the Minister may pay the municipality an amount not exceeding 80% of the costs of the program. (4) The Minister may only enter into an agreement with the Government of Canada in respect of an Indian reserve on the request of the Council of the Indian band. 1981 cF‑1.1 s3 Advances to municipalities 4 Where a municipality provides for the establishment, administration and operation of a program pursuant to an agreement made under section 3(1) or (2), the Minister may make advance payments to the municipality in respect of the cost of the program, and those advance payments shall be deducted from any money that is to be paid pursuant to section 3. 1981 cF‑1.1 s4 Examination of books and records 5 Where a municipality provides for the establishment, administration and operation of a program pursuant to an agreement made under section 3(1) or (2), the Minister may, after consultation with the municipality, direct any person to examine the books, records and other documents of the municipality that relate to the program, and for that purpose the books, records and other documents may be removed temporarily to make copies. 1981 cF‑1.1 s5 Audited financial statements 6 (1) A municipality receiving a payment under section 3 shall prepare and submit to the Minister an audited financial statement in respect of the program and any other information that the Minister may require when so directed by the Minister. (2) Where the audited financial statement shows that there are unexpended funds from the payments made by the Minister under section 3 or 4, the Minister may (a) apply the unexpended funds to any payment made by the Minister pursuant to a further agreement with the municipality under section 3 respecting a program, or (b) require the municipality to refund the unexpended funds to the Minister. 1981 cF‑1.1 s6 Regulations 7 The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations (a) respecting the determination of what constitutes a program under this Act; (b) respecting the determination of the costs of the establishment, administration and operation of a program under section 3 and the manner of calculating those costs; (c) respecting payments to be made under sections 3 and 4; (d) respecting the establishment, administration and operation of programs by municipalities; (e) governing agreements made under this Act; (f) prescribing qualifications for and standards and methods of work to be maintained by municipal family and community support services workers; (g) prescribing any conditions that must be met before a payment under section 3 or 4 can be made; (h) prescribing the manner and method of payments to municipalities under this Act; (i) respecting the audited financial statements required by section 6. 1981 cF‑1.1 s7