Province Commits to Improve Services for Children

The province has committed to complete child protection investigations more quickly, have more timely contact with children in foster care, and improve interactions with foster families.

Community Services Minister Denise Peterson-Rafuse said today, May 22, the province will accept all of the auditor general's recommendations to improve services for children and families.

The auditor general examined the Department of Community Services child welfare section, reviewing child protection investigations, monitoring of children in care and support for foster parents.

"Taking the best possible care of our province's children is a high priority," said Ms. Peterson-Rafuse. "We take these recommendations seriously and have already begun to implement changes. We are deeply committed to improving upon our best practices in child welfare."

The auditor general noted in his report that the department's responses to allegations of abuse and neglect, assessment of risk to children and prioritizing investigations based on risk assessments are working well. But he also identified the need to improve monitoring of children in foster care, families under court supervision and foster families.

The department has been meeting targets for mandatory requirements and now needs to address improving timeframes for the non-mandatory standards.

"We have dedicated staff working in challenging circumstances, but we recognize there are areas where we can improve our practice," said Ms. Peterson-Rafuse.

The department is addressing the auditor general's recommendations:

• expanding file audits for foster care
• clarifying response times for child abuse or neglect investigations and committing to following them
• scheduling updates for the child protection and foster care manuals
• documenting approvals and rationale for investigation longer than six weeks
• better documenting case checklists
• monitoring the time taken to approve foster families
• clarifying kinship foster family policies
• improving Comprehensive Plans of Care for all children
• committing to hold contact meetings at required intervals
• clarifying dental standards for children
• ensuring supervisory reviews happen on a defined timeline
• following standards for meeting and reviewing foster families

Sheila Hill, a member of the Dialogue with Foster Parents group, lives on Janvrin's Island, Richmond Co., and has been a foster parent for 12 years.

"We're working together hand-in-hand with Community Services through the Dialogue with Foster Parents group. We recognize that there are areas to work on and we have been meeting and talking for more than a year," said Ms. Hill.

"The relationship is moving in a positive direction now; I really feel supported by the team, and the minister, at Community Services. I believe strongly that if we all work together as a foster care team, we will achieve the best outcomes for our children in care and they will go on to have productive lives."

There are 1,315 children in care, with 876 of those in permanent care and custody. There are close to 700 foster homes in Nova Scotia and 22 residential facilities that offer specialized services. The number of adoptions of children in care during 2012-13 was 122.

There were 9,935 child protection referrals made to Community Services in 2012-13, which prompted 6,601 child protection investigations, with 1,249 child protection cases opened and 534 children taken into care.