Renewal plans for the welfare system

The Government of Saskatchewan recently signed two historical Letters of Understanding (LOUs) with its partners from the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) and the Métis Nation - Saskatchewan (MNS) pledging to renew the child welfare system.

"These letters confirm that we will work together as partners to change the child welfare system for the long-term well-being of First Nations and Métis children and all other children - a commitment that I am proud to be a part of," Social Services Minister June Draude said.

"The greatest gift a parent receives from the Creator is a child, therefore we must cherish this gift through providing necessities for life, mentoring, education and protection," FSIN Vice-Chief Lyle Whitefish said. "It takes a community to raise a child. Furthermore, with the willingness of this current provincial government we will forge a brighter future for our children and future generations."

"We want all Métis children and youth to reach their full potential and be supported by healthy and safe families and communities as they grow and learn," President of Métis Nation-Saskatchewan Robert Doucette said. "This Letter of Understanding will acknowledge the joint dialogue and decision-making process we must undertake to begin acting on the general and systemic issues related to the safety and well-being of Métis children and their families."

In addition to signing the LOUs, Minister Draude also provided an update on the response to the Saskatchewan Child Welfare Review Panel's report and announced plans to develop a flexible response pilot in Saskatoon.

"The child welfare review was extensive and made 12 recommendations to government," Draude said. "We are taking those recommendations very seriously. They, along with these new partnerships, form the basis of our high-level plan to move forward and address key recommendations from the panel's report."

The Child Welfare Transformation Strategy, part of the Saskatchewan Children and Youth Agenda will guide the change in child welfare focused on the themes of working differently, prevention and renewal.

Flexible response recognizes that "one size fits all" does not work in response to child maltreatment situations. The model allows for different responses to reports of child abuse and neglect depending on the level of urgency and severity. The goal is to support more families to safely care for their children. The model will be better suited to concerns about child neglect, which currently make up 70 per cent of the caseload in Social Services, and will allow for a better response to more serious child protection cases.

"Establishing partnerships between the province, FSIN and MNS is a critical first step in the transformation of Saskatchewan's child welfare system, and signals commitment by all parties to real and positive change," Draude said. "The next steps will involve developing detailed plans with our partners."