Background to Changes for Children

Implementation Team Terms of Reference

Department of Family Services and Housing

Changes for Children:
Strengthening the Commitment to Child Welfare

Implementation Team
Terms of Reference

Background

In March 2006, the Minister of Family Services and Housing commissioned two external reviews into the Child and Family Services System in Manitoba. One review focused on case management practices across the system while the other focused on services provided in a particular case where a child had died and examined 99 cases from 2003 to 2006 where a child had either been in care at the time of his or her death or had received service from the child and family services system within one year prior. The two external reviews produced separate reports which together, contain over 200 individual recommendations for improving the child and family services system in Manitoba. These reports were submitted at the end of September 2006.

In response to the reports, the Department of Family Services has developed a framework entitled “Changes for Children: Strengthening the Commitment to Child Welfare”. This plan represents a blueprint for sustainable changes and describes the Department’s funding commitment to a comprehensive framework of new program initiatives.

Principles

The work of the Implementation Team will be guided by the following principles:

• Implementation plans will demonstrably respect the spirit, intent and longer term objectives of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry – Child Welfare Initiative.
• Time is of the essence in developing implementation plans for the “Changes for Children” initiatives.
• Decisions will be reached by consensus to the maximum extent possible among Team members.
• There must be a timely and efficient process in place to resolve issues when consensus cannot be reached on a Team decision.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Team is to coordinate the planning and implementation of the “Changes for Children” initiatives. The Team, under the leadership of the co-chairs, will be responsible for establishing the inter-sectoral and intergovernmental partnerships where needed to implement the initiatives.

The co-chairs will lead a process to develop a detailed implementation plan based on the recommendations in the external review reports and the initiatives announced by the Provincial Government. To facilitate this, the Implementation Team will assume responsibility for many of the items currently on the work plan of the Restructuring and Development Committee.

When developing the detailed plan, the Implementation Team will establish priorities and consider the capacity of the current system to effectively manage change. The implementation plan will be submitted to the Minister of Family Services and Housing for approval.

The Team may develop individual implementation plans for specific initiatives or a broader plan to implement several initiatives simultaneously.

At minimum, each implementation plan must:

• Demonstrate that the implementation plan is consistent with the objectives of the AJI-CWI.
• Provide details on the new programs to be offered and how these fit with the recommendations in the external review reports.
• Identify changes to legislation, policy or standards required for implementation.
• Provide a schedule for implementation with key milestone dates.
• Demonstrate that the implementation plan is consistent with known best practice approaches in child and family services.
• Provide a statement of expected outcomes for each plan and how these outcomes will be evaluated.
• Provide details on the funding requirements.
• Develop a communication strategy, including reports for release to the public as well as regular updates to the “Changes for Children” website.

Chairs

The Implementation Team will be co-chaired by two persons selected by the Minister of Family Services and Housing. The co-chairs will be external to that Department. The co-chairs will preside over all meetings and will report to the Minister through the Deputy Minister of Family Services and Housing. In consultation with the other members, the co-chairs will set work priorities, timelines and expected deliverables for the staff team assigned to assist the Implementation Team in completing its work.

The co-chairs will have a lead role in ensuring that the appropriate inter-sectoral partners, government departments, stakeholders and collateral service providers are consulted and, where appropriate, involved in the planning process. The co-chairs will also ensure that meaningful consultation occurs with the relevant labour unions and other employee representatives.

Membership and Staff

The Implementation Team will be comprised of the following members:

• The Chief Executive Officer or designate of the First Nations of Northern Manitoba Child and Family Services Authority.
• The Chief Executive Officer or designate of the First Nations of Southern Manitoba Child and Family Services Authority.
• The Chief Executive Officer or designate of the Metis Child and Family Services Authority.
• The Chief Executive Officer or designate of the Child and Family Services General Authority.
• The Executive Director or designate of the Child Protection Branch.
• The Managing Director or designate of the Strategic Initiatives Branch.

Other members may be added to the Implementation Team. The Executive Director of the Child Protection Branch will serve as Executive Coordinator and, in this capacity, be responsible for organizing the work of the Team and supervising assigned staff. Dedicated professional and administrative staff will be assigned to work with the Implementation Team.

Meetings, Minutes and Progress Reports

The Implementation Team will meet as often as required but not less often than once a month. The co-chairs shall ensure that minutes are taken at each meeting in a format acceptable to the members. The full Team will approve all minutes from meetings. A copy of the minutes will be provided to the Deputy Minister of Family Services and Housing. Distribution of the minutes will be at the discretion of the Deputy Minister. The co-chairs will be responsible for submitting regular written progress reports to the Minister of Family Services and Housing in a format and at intervals determined by the Minister and updates to the Office of the Children’s Advocate and the Office of the Ombudsman.

The Terms of Reference are to be reviewed on an annual basis on the anniversary date of their approval.

Approved and Revised November 23, 2006