Federation response to part 1 (of two) of the RCY new report: No Time to Wait: A review of MCFD’s child welfare workforce – Part One

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Dear Members, 

On July 23, the Representative for Children and Youth (RCY) tabled a special report on workforce capacity in the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD). “No Time to Wait: A review of MCFD’s child welfare workforce – Part 1“ is a companion to last week’s report, “Don’t Look Away,” which proposes significant MCFD reforms and was met with a government commitment to rethinking service delivery and systems of care; visit our website to see the Federation’s response. 

“No Time to Wait” provides a detailed summary of key findings from the systemic review, with a focus on MCFD’s child welfare services directly delivered by social workers. Concerns raised include:  

  • Recruitment and retention of staff, with particular attention to rural communities  
  • Diversity and inclusion, with particular attention to Indigenous representation 
  • Qualifications, onboarding, training and professional development  
  • Standards, policies, procedures, practice guidelines and quality assurance to support good practice  
  • Caseloads and workload  
  • Managing leave and backfill needs 
  • Availability of effective tools and resources to support good practice, including administrative/technological support and supporting family and community resources 
  • Supervision, mentoring and practice support, with particular attention to support and guidance when working with Indigenous families and communities  
  • Worker and workplace health and psychological safety  
  • Staff/ministry organizational design, culture, and management. 

 

The RCY will conduct ongoing engagements throughout August and September to discuss the report’s findings and recommendations further. The Federation will share information about these sessions as they are scheduled. Federation staff also plan to attend and will report back to members.  

This report will be followed by a second, more fulsome review and analysis. Part 2 is scheduled to be released in late fall 2024. Please watch for more information about Part 2 later this year.  

As the report notes, the findings illustrate a human resources shortfall within MCFD that is having real compounding impacts felt by children, youth, families, and staff serving them in the community. This echoes feedback heard from Federation members at recent events and meetings around the province, many of whom care deeply for their colleagues in government and worry about this systemic risk to the people they serve. 

I have let Dr. Charlesworth know that she and her team have the full support of the Federation in this ongoing work and that we will do everything we can to amplify her calls to action and work with the sector to foster solutions. While the report focuses on MCFD, the issues raised are not isolated to that department, and the lack of connectivity between children’s services with other social services is another area our members have outlined as a sector challenge. Further, many of our members are facing issues with recruitment, retention, training, and workplace health and safety, and undoubtedly, the First Nations and Indigenous authorities who are assuming jurisdiction over child welfare and protection will face many of these challenges as well in the years ahead. It will take a collaborative effort from society to bring the community-based system of care for children and youth that Dr. Charlesworth is demanding, and the Federation will be there to help steward the change.  

For more information or any questions/feedback, please contact Diamond Isinger, Director of Policy, at diamond@fcssbc.ca.