NAWL welcomes Members of Parliament’s decision to better protect children and survivors of family violence, as bill C-223 moves one step closer to becoming law. 

Anishinaabe Territory / Ottawa, February 4th, 2026 – Following a thoughtful debate in the House of Commons, Members of Parliament voted to move forward with the Keeping the Children Safe Act, paving the way for long-awaited reforms sought by feminist organizations. 

By voting to proceed with the study of Bill C-223 at committee, parliamentarians demonstrated strong cross-party consensus on the urgent need to better protect children and survivors of family violence in family court decisions. 

Statements at second reading debate 

“Parliament has heard through committee studies and testimony that too often children have been separated from the parent who provides their primary care and safety, not because it was in their best interest but because allegations were raised without a full and informed understanding of family violence or coercive control. This bill seeks to correct this by ensuring that child safety, not litigation tactics, is the guiding principle in family law decisions.’’ – Sonia Sidhu (Brampton South, LPC)

“When families are at their most vulnerable, our law must not make things worse. It must not create incentives or discourage legitimate safety concerns from being raised. Instead, courts must help examine the evidence and focus on patterns of behaviour and the lived experience of the child. Above all, our family law system must remain grounded in evidence and guided by a single clear principle: keeping the child safe.” – Marilyn Galdu (Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong, CPC)

Reactions from feminist organizations 

“Far too many women and children who report violence are punished by the very justice system meant to protect them. The progress of Bill C-223 represents a crucial step toward ensuring that survivors’ voices are heard, not used against them,” said Anuradha Dugal, Executive Director of Women’s Shelters Canada.

“Hundreds of survivors have shared the same story: they left an abuser, disclosed his violence to the courts, and got punished for it by being labelled “difficult”, “vindictive”, or an “alienator”. Years later, tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees later, they hear the message loud and clear: “there is nothing you can do to keep your children safe.” Women leave the domestic violence nightmare and enter the family law hell. And so they say: “I wish I’d stayed.” These are not isolated failures. They are patterned, predictable, and preventable. That’s why we need reform. Because Canada should keep its children safe,” said Suzanne Zaccour, Director of Legal Affairs for the National Association of Women and the Law 

The National Association of Women and the Law and women’s organizations across the country advocating for the reform of the Divorce Act will continue to closely monitor the bill’s progress and actively participate in parliamentary proceedings to ensure that the reform truly meets the needs of children and survivors of family violence. 

Key measures in Bill C-223, the Keeping Children Safe Act 

• Center decision-making about children on their best interests only, eliminating myths and stereotypes about family violence. 

• Mandate that lawyers representing parents in divorce cases screen for family violence and take the safety of parents and children into account. 

• Clarify that there is no presumption of shared parenting, each decision being based on the best interests of the child. 

• Prevent courts from blaming women who are victims of domestic violence for not actively working to improve their children’s relationship with their abuser. 

• Stop the practice of disregarding children’s views and preferences under the pretense that they have been “manipulated” or “alienated” by a parent. 

• Require parents who have committed family violence to show that they have taken steps to change their behavior and improved their ability to care for the child, before they can obtain parenting time.