Message from Anne Davidson Executive Director Community Engagement Branch September 2, 2021

I am pleased to share that non-profits can now use the new Freedom to Care website to find and request exemptions to regulations to help them deliver programs and services in the community.

The website also provides information and resources to support the sector’s understanding and implementation of the volunteer liability protections under the Freedom to Care Act. This includes resources for best practices in volunteer management and a volunteer checklist.

The website supports the implementation of the Freedom to Care Act, which comes into force on Sept. 1. The Freedom to Care Act:

•  Allows cabinet (through order in council) to grant one-time, short-term exemptions for non-profits from government regulations intended for business, where an exemption does not already exist.

•  Requires the Minister of Culture to report annually to cabinet on exemption requests that cannot be addressed through existing processes or legislation.

•  Provides individual volunteers with liability protections.

Please share the Freedom to Care website with your contacts, colleagues and networks in the non-profit and voluntary sector.

Anne Davidson Executive Director

Community Engagement Branch Culture Multiculturalism and Status of Women