Strategic Context
The Ministry provides a wide range of services to children, youth and families in British Columbia. The following section highlights key opportunities and challenges that will affect the Ministry over the next three years.
The B.C. Child and Youth Review and the Good Practice Action Plan
In 2007, the Ministry released a draft Good Practice Action Plan to transform the child and family development service delivery system. This will ensure it responds to the needs of vulnerable children and youth in the context of family and community, and strives towards preventing vulnerability. The Action Plan is consistent with the recommendations from the BC Children and Youth Review (the “Hughes Review”). The Action Plan is necessarily broader in scope as it applies across all of the Ministry’s programs and areas of business. However, it is through the Action Plan that the Ministry will continue to deliver on the Hughes Review recommendations that are specific to the Ministry.
The Ministry is committed to working with the Representative for Children and Youth to ensure the successful implementation of the Hughes Review recommendations.
Regional and Community Services
Community and regional engagement is critical to effective service delivery for children, youth and families. By moving towards community and client-centred service delivery, the Ministry anticipates better information flow to support the planning, provision and revision of the Ministry’s services.
Services for Aboriginal Children and Youth
The Ministry is building stronger relationships with Aboriginal peoples and communities, and recognizes the importance of accessible, culturally appropriate services that more effectively meet the needs of Aboriginal children, youth and families in British Columbia. Aboriginal children and youth access programs and benefits through a complex range of federal, provincial and Aboriginal service delivery agencies.
The Ministry is committed to creating opportunities for strengthened partnerships with Aboriginal organizations. This commitment provides an opportunity — through Interim Authorities, delegated agencies, regional planning committees and other Aboriginal service providers — to improve outcomes for Aboriginal children, youth, families and communities.
Federal Government Funding Commitments
Funding flows from the federal government to the Province for youth justice, early childhood development and child care. The federal government provides approximately 27 per cent of the funding for youth justice services in British Columbia. In March 2007, the federal government agreed to provide funding to the provinces and territories to support the creation of child care spaces. Under this funding mechanism, British Columbia received approximately $33 million in 2007/08, and anticipates receiving $33 million in each of the next four years. Nevertheless, the federal government’s decision in February 2007 to eliminate the Early Learning and Child Care Agreement results in a net reduction of $356 million to the Province over three years beginning in 2007/08.
A number of anticipated improvements to federal funding of programs for Aboriginal people in British Columbia will impact Ministry services. In 2007/08, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada began funding out of care options including post-adoption services for Aboriginal people on reserve. The federal government is also exploring new preventative services to augment their child welfare model. This model would be developed in collaboration with the Province and First Nations. The Ministry will be examining the impacts and opportunities that these changes create for its programs, services and supports to Aboriginal children and families living on reserve.
Human Resource Issues
Service agencies in the areas of early childhood development, child care, and children and youth with special needs are experiencing difficulties finding and keeping experienced staff. Competition for qualified staff — especially in remote and rural communities — will continue to be a challenge. Human resource strategies are under development, in consultation with our service delivery partners, and the Ministry will continue to explore opportunities that support recruitment, development and retention of qualified service delivery staff.
Demographic Changes
The 2006 Canadian census makes clear that Canada’s multicultural society encompasses an increasingly wide variety of family structures and situations, and that Canadian children experience many different childhood and family circumstances. In the 2006 census, 27.5 per cent of the B.C. population identified themselves as immigrant, compared to 26 per cent in the 2001 census and 19.5 per cent for Canada as a whole in 2006.
There is an increasing demand for services for children and youth with special needs and their families. This increased service demand is due in part to improvements in screening, assessment and diagnosis resulting from advances in medical science and technology.
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