When the Ministry of Child and Family Development has a child welfare investigation...
The Ministry of Child and Family Development (MCFD) has child protection delegation (C6). They are the decision makers with regards to approving safety plans, who can care for a child and what a family must do (risk reduction service plan-RRSP) to reduce the risk to the child(ren).
Protocol with MCFD
- On-reserve MCFD must inform either NIȽ/TU,O or a band administrator that they are attending a home on reserve
- Off-reserve involvement of NIȽ/TU,O is up to the family to decide
- NIȽ/TU,O working alongside MCFD offering support services
- NIȽ/TU,O is familiar with the investigation process preparing the agency for child welfare delegation (C6)
Protocols between communities
- Establish communication between each community and NIȽ/TU,O – to identify needs
- NIȽ/TU,O to work alongside MCFD while they are involved with a family
- To be reviewed when NIȽ/TU,O begins delivering C6
NIȽ/TU,O's Role
- NIȽ/TU,O provides MCFD with an aboriginal and cultural perspective on the child-in-care
- ROOTS can provide a cultural plan, genogram and resources for caregivers
- If a child becomes a Continuing Custody ward (permanent ward) the guardianship file is transferred from MCFD to NIȽ/TU,O
- If a foster parent resides on reserve, their resource file is transferred to NIȽ/TU,O
- If more than 50% of the children placed in the foster home are NIȽ/TU,O children, the resource files can comes to NIȽ/TU,O
- If a person on reserve wants to become a foster parent NIȽ/TU,O can study that home to be approved as a caregiver.
- NIȽ/TU,O social workers are receiving on-going training about the child protection process and can assist the family to understand MCFD’s role and mandate; as well as to ADVOCATE for the family when needed
- NIȽ/TU,O provides MCFD with an aboriginal & cultural perspective on the family they are investigating & information about the community where the child lives
- NIȽ/TU,O offers support services to reduce the risks identified by MCFD
- NIȽ/TU,O’s services are voluntary – a parent can choose to participate or not, MCFDs RRSP is not as flexible and often the services they ask parents to participate in are offered by NIȽ/TU,O
- Families can be involved with NIȽ/TU,O without a referral from MCFD. They can call and request services themselves.
