Ministry Overview
Purpose of the Ministry
The Ministry of Children and Family Development promotes and develops the capacity of families and communities to care for
and protect vulnerable children and youth, and supports healthy child and family development to maximize the potential of
every child in British Columbia.
The Ministry is responsible for a wide variety of regionally and provincially delivered services and programs that support
positive, healthy outcomes for children, youth and families. These include: family development, early childhood development,
services for children and youth with special needs and their families, child care, child protection, residential and foster
care, adoption for children and youth permanently in care, community child and youth mental health, programs for at-risk or
sexually exploited youth, and community youth justice services. The Ministry is responsible for a number of specialized provincial
services including youth custody, youth forensic psychiatric services, the Maples Adolescent Treatment Centre and services
for the deaf and hard of hearing.
The Ministry is organized into five service regions: North, Interior, Fraser, Vancouver Coastal and Vancouver Island. The
Ministry serves people directly and also contracts with service providers to deliver its complex array of services. Approximately
49 per cent of the Ministry's funding supports contracts with community-based service delivery organizations.
Service delivery partners include: contracted community organizations, other ministries, family foster homes, Aboriginal communities,
delegated Aboriginal child welfare agencies, school districts and health authorities. The Ministry's legislative mandate includes:
the Child, Family and Community Service Act, the Adoption Act, the Youth Justice Act, the Child Care BC Act and the Child Care Subsidy Act.
Vision, Mission and Values
Vision
The Ministry of Children and Family Development envisions a province where children are healthy and respected, families are
responsible and all live in safe, caring and inclusive communities.
Mission
To promote and develop the capacity of families and communities to care for and protect vulnerable children and youth, and
to maximize the potential of every child in British Columbia by supporting healthy child and family development.
Values
As an organization, the Ministry of Children and Family Development values:
- Service Excellence: Providing and supporting the delivery of quality, effective, evidence-based services that strive for the optimal use of resources;
- Partnerships with Aboriginal People: Working with Aboriginal communities to develop, implement and deliver services for Aboriginal children, youth and families
— respecting traditions, cultures and beliefs; and,
- Dynamic Organizational Culture: Focusing on continuous learning, respect, accountability, innovation and leadership excellence.
The following values guide the planning and delivery of ministry services:
- Protection of Vulnerable Children and Youth: Upholding children's rights to support the safety and well-being of vulnerable children and youth;
- Primacy of Family: Supporting the right and primary responsibility of families to protect and support the growth and development of children
and youth;
- Supportive Services: Using a strengths-based approach for services and providing the least intrusive service approaches to keep children and youth
safe within their families whenever possible;
- Integrity: Ensuring actions align with values by promoting relationships of mutual trust, confidence and respect;
- Partnerships and Participation: Involving children, youth, their families and communities in the planning and delivery of
services; and,
- Fostering Community Capacity: Recognizing and supporting communities so they can enhance the resilience of children, youth and families.