2003/04 – 2005/06 SERVICE PLAN Ministry of Children and Family Development

Core Business Areas

The ministry has moved from the five core business areas presented in the previous Service Plan to four. These four areas are consistent with the new governance models and will support the ministry’s goals and objectives in 2003/04. Two new ministry core business areas, Provincial Services; and Executive and Support Services, have replaced last year’s Youth Justice, Child and Youth Mental Health, and Youth Services; and Corporate Services, Program and Regional Management, respectively. This progress reflects internal structural changes as the transition to new governance evolves — no service reductions are associated with the two changes.

In 2004/05, permanent community-based authorities will deliver most of the ministry’s programs and services; enabling legislation is expected in spring 2003. Five permanent child and family development authorities and one provincial community living authority will be established; and five permanent Aboriginal regional authorities are anticipated for fiscal 2005/06. Once readiness criteria have been met and permanent authorities are established, the future ministry headquarters will be restructured. It will retain responsibility for overall setting of budgets and standards, and monitoring of performance measures.

1. Community Living Services (includes children with developmental disabilities and children with autism): The current adult community living area provides residential and day programming support to adults with developmental disabilities. Residential services (continuing care) are provided in family care settings, semi-independent living, and in staffed resources. Training and support programs (day programs) include self-help skill development, supported work and home support.

An interim authority is primarily responsible for planning the transition of community living services from government to a permanent provincial authority. In 2003/04, the permanent provincial authority will be responsible for supporting adults with developmental disabilities, and some children with special needs and their families. The permanent authority will be responsible for directing operations, enforcing standards, managing funds and developing supports for individuals and families. It will shift towards an individualized funding approach, where appropriate, to promote a greater range of options. The provincial authority will also be responsible for providing services for children with developmental disabilities and children with autism including respite care, child/youth care workers, the residential associate family program, family and professional supports, as well as homemaker/home support and the brain injury program.

2. Child and Family Development: Child and family development services include permanency planning for children and youth, residential and foster care; adoption for children permanently in care; family development; community child and youth mental health; and community youth justice and community supervision services by youth probation officers. It also includes youth services such as safe houses and outreach programs; community-based alternatives to youth custody such as residential or day programs, intensive supervision, alternative measures and community service work; and programs to assist at-risk and sexually-exploited youth. Two other key programs are Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs, which aim to optimize development of healthy children focusing from birth to six years; and Supported Child Care, a vital component of government’s ECD services, assisting eligible children up to age 12 who need extra support to participate in the broader child care system. Management and administrative functions for these service areas are also included in this core business area.

Progress is well underway to transfer most child and family development services to five regional authorities, and to establish five Aboriginal regional authorities for services to Aboriginal children and families. Interim regional child and family development authorities are working with the ministry to establish structures to enable permanent authorities to be in place in 2004/05. The Joint Aboriginal Management Committee, five regional Aboriginal transition teams, and the ministry are working to plan and implement permanent Aboriginal authorities, anticipated for 2005/06.

3. Provincial Services: This new core business area provides program support and administration for young offender programs that promote rehabilitation, including youth custody centres and youth forensic psychiatric services to the courts and clients. The Maples Adolescent Treatment Centre, Provincial Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and Migrant Services will also be included in Provincial Services. In 2003/04 and beyond, these services and possibly others currently under consideration will continue to be directly provided by the ministry. The ministry will also retain responsibility for the central management of youth custody centres, and provincial services such as the Maples Adolescent Centre and the Forensic Psychiatric Institute.

4. Executive and Support Services: This area provides overall direction, development and support for ministry programs, including central support and advice to the areas of Child and Family Development, Community Living and Provincial Services. This includes over-arching policy and legislative support, intergovernmental relations, audit, performance management and related research functions, administrative services, staff development and educational services, capital planning and facilities support, and financial and decision support services. Freedom of Information (FOI) and Protection of Privacy is responsible for FOI requests and records.

Examples of key activities for 2003/04 and beyond are the downsizing of headquarters, and implementation of the accountability mechanisms as described in the Corporate Accountability and Performance Framework document (view on the ministry’s web site at www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/change/pdfs/accountability_framework.pdf). Work includes conducting assessments of the readiness of each interim board prior to transferring responsibility for operational management and service delivery and ongoing monitoring and reporting once permanent boards are established in community governance. As part of the new governance structures, a pooled administrative services authority may be set up to provide certain common services such as information technology.