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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Province's complicated child-welfare system requires review: report

By: Bruce Owen

Posted: 02/9/2012 1:00 AM

A full-scale audit of how the province informs Manitobans of its child-welfare system is needed to simplify lines of communication to the public, Manitoba's Children's Advocate Darlene MacDonald said in her office's 2010-11 annual report released Wednesday.

"We're saying it's a complicated system," MacDonald said. "There's approximately 29 agencies in the province and it is quite hard to manoeuvre."

She added while the province's website for Child and Family Services opens one venue for access, more has to happen to inform people which agency they should be dealing with and the services it provides, responsibilities and appeal processes.

MacDonald also said while there are progress programs for young adults leaving care, her office still has too many cases where there has not been adequate preparation for a child leaving a foster home at 18.

"If this trend continues, our office could see a substantial rise in referrals that could strain our resources to respond appropriately," the report said.

The Office of Manitoba's Children's Advocate (OCA) is to release a report next month on the issue, following up on recommendations it made in 2006.

The province says there are more than 350 children receiving extensions of care services, including residential and foster support, as well as educational and pre-employment assistance and treatment supports.

A provincial spokesman also said the recommendations from OCA's annual report will be reviewed by the four child-welfare authorities and the department.

The annual report also said the OCA received 2,299 requests for service in 2010-11. The number of requests is almost the same as those reported in the same period for the year before. There were 1,034 cases opened. The report says the number of cases reported reflects changes made to the office's data-entry system last year rather than an increase in cases.

The report also says OCA advocacy officers closed twice as many case files in 2010-11 than in 2009-10.

MacDonald said work has to be done to prevent child drownings and to help children with developmental, mental or cognitive challenges find placements in foster or group homes.

bruce.owen@freepress.mb.ca

Five homicides

What the Office of Manitoba's Children's Advocate said in its 2010-11 annual report:

Sixty-five per cent of children in care are aboriginal

53 child deaths were referred to the office's special investigations review unit out of 156 children who died in 2010-11

Most deaths (58 per cent) are the result of natural causes. Accidental deaths and suicide are other causes

There were five homicides of children under 18

Eight of the 156 children who died were in the care of an agency at the time of death

The average number of child deaths annually in Manitoba is 179.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 9, 2012 B2

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