FOSTER-FAMILY RECRUITMENT PROGRAM VASTLY EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS
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More than 1,000 New Placements Created to Help Vulnerable Kids; Hotel Placements Plummet
The province’s foster-family recruitment program has created more than 1,000 new bed spaces since November 2006, triple its original goal, Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Ron Evans, Manitoba Métis Federation President David Chartrand and Northern Chiefs Organization Grand Chief Sydney Garrioch announced today.
When Join the Circle of Care was launched last year, Manitoba Child and Family Services (CFS) agencies hoped to see 300 more bed spaces created for children in care. Instead, more than 1,000 new placements with more than 450 families have been added this year compared with last year.
“We are pleased that so many Manitoban families have stepped forward to help vulnerable kids,” Evans said. “This has had a huge impact on our ability to place children in caring, safe homes. The number of kids in hotels is significantly down this year compared with last year.”
The campaign, Join the Circle of Care, was one step in the Changes For Children strategy. Changes for Children was launched with an initial commitment of $42 million to strengthen the province’s four CFS agencies, followed by another of $6.1 million to increase Manitoba’s foster-care system.
Parallel with Join the Circle of Care, the province also launched a new policy on Aug. 1, 2007, designed to reduce the need to temporarily put children in care into hotels, except under exceptional circumstances. Under this exceptional-use policy, children can only be placed for short terms in hotels in the event of an emergency, such as a fire or flood, for medical reasons and to keep families and siblings together.
“Prior to this policy coming into force, there were as many as 166 kids in hotels on a single day in August 2006,” said Chartrand. “Since Join the Circle of Care was introduced, the average number of children placed temporarily in hotels has dropped significantly to an average of three a day. That’s a reduction of 98 per cent.”
During the first year after the new policy was introduced, there were five months when no children were in hotels; five months when the daily average was three or fewer; one month when the average was four; one month with a daily average of 11 and one month with a daily average of 14. Only one child has been in a hotel this week.
“We applaud the work of front-line social workers and foster families in finding more appropriate emergency placements for children,” Garrioch said. “They are accomplishing this despite an increase in the total numbers of children coming into care.”
As of March 31, 2007, there were 7,241 children in care. One year later, there were 7,837 children in care, an increase of almost 600, or 8.2 per cent. The province has also funded 90 more front-line social workers (with more to come), hired FASD specialists and improved standards and training.
“Despite our successes, we know there is much more that can be done to improve the child and family services system,” Family Services and Housing Minister Gord Mackintosh said. “In the coming months, we will launch a three-part initiative to further protect the most vulnerable members of society.”
The three-part initiative will include:
· Targeting the Join the Circle of Care campaign with a focus on recruiting foster families that can care for larger sibling groups and special needs youth.
· Bringing on-stream approximately 30 targeted specialized emergency placement beds.
· Launching a co-ordinated response that will better meet the needs of children by matching resources to their needs. This rapid-response system will allow more quicker and appropriate action for children.
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION ATTACHED
The Province of Manitoba is distributing this release on behalf of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, the Manitoba Métis Federation and the Northern Chiefs Organization.
1 comment:
“Greetings
Just wondering if any of the Government money issued for improvement for vulnerable children in foster care, is helping relatives who have spent thousands of dollars trying to convince Metis Winnipeg that these children belong with family member’s.
Although five hundred children were transferred from C.A.S. to Métis in one day, once the child is released to family, Métis, refuses to forward information of the child’s history, what band if any they come from, are they really Métis or do these children have rights like other Native children.
It was the Court in Winnipeg who decided that one boy be placed with his grandmother who was trying for two years to bring the boy back to Ontario, Metis released this boy to his Grandmother with No birth certificate, No medical history, and No information on how they decided that this boy should of being transferred to Métis from C.A.S. such as; proof of his Native Heritage. Although Metis did state that they hoped and expected that the Boy’s grandparents keep up his Native Heritage,
Métis asked that the Grandmother reside in Winnipeg from Ontario if there was any chance what so ever to gain custody, Métis knowing that Legal fee’s start at 200.00 per hour.
There are many issues and concern’s with this case that hopefully can be brought to the attention of our Chief’s , they should know the treatment given to family while trying to help these children.
I did contact First Nation’s and sent them what information I have , it has been almost two years now with no word.
Now knowing how vulnerable these children are once they leave foster care, we have placed our boy in private school where the class size is cut in half compared to public school, this is his second year of school and is settling in wonderfully, although the cost is more than our family can afford.
I’m sure somewhere within Metis someone should be excited about the transformation by such a young boy.
Sincerely
Lori Marie
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