Annual Service Plan Reports 2004/05 -- Ministry of Children and Family Development

The Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) envisions a province of healthy children and responsible families living in safe, caring and inclusive communities.

Mission

Our mission is to promote and develop the capacity of British Columbia families and communities to care for and protect vulnerable children and youth, and to support adults with developmental disabilities.

Values

MCFD services should be managed and delivered to provide appropriate outcomes for children and families, at the lowest cost consistent with quality, and should focus on providing the right service at the right time in the right place.

Ministry Overview

Ministry Organization

As illustrated by the map below, the Ministry of Children and Families [MCFD] is organized into five service delivery regions:

In addition, MCFD delivers specialized provincial programs that include overseeing the operations of the youth custody centres, youth forensic psychiatric services, Maples Adolescent Treatment Centre, nursing support services, At Home medical benefits, autism services, provincial services for the deaf and hard of hearing and migrant services.

MCFD provincial and regional offices are also responsible for delivering a variety of services to support better outcomes for children, youth and adults with developmental disabilities, and their families.

The ministry headquarters in Victoria is organized into seven divisions that provide the infrastructure and support the work of the MCFD service delivery regions. These divisions are:

External Stakeholders

The ministry works with a range of stakeholders including: service provider organizations and advisory bodies; local governments; school boards; health authorities; unions; professional organizations; planning committees and umbrella organizations for service providers.

MCFD also works with other provincial government ministries and organizations including: Health Services; Education; Advanced Education; Attorney General; Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services; Finance; Human Resources; Public Safety and Solicitor General, Child and Youth Officer and Public Guardian and Trustee of British Columbia.

Legislation

Currently, the Ministry of Children and Family Development administers the following legislation:

The following provincial and federal legislation also guides delivery of ministry services: Community Care Facility Act, Family Relations Act and Mental Health Act.

The new Youth Justice Act, which received Royal Assent on November 17, 2003, repealed the Young Offenders (British Columbia) Act and incorporated the provisions of the Correction Act pertaining to young persons, for which MCFD is responsible.

Core Business Areas

1. Community Living Services

Budget in 2004/05: $609,573,000
Expenditures: $620,395,000
Actual Full-Time Equivalency [FTEs]: 460

Community Living Services assists adults with developmental disabilities to live as fully and independently as possible in their homes and communities. Services include residential and day programs, training and support programs, and professional supports.

In addition we operate the Provincial Assessment Centre (formerly Willow Clinic), a provincial resource for mentally disabled, dually-diagnosed individuals who may present challenging psychiatric, medical, psychological or behavioural problems that significantly interfere with day-to-day functioning and care.

This core business area also includes selected services for children with special needs and their families. We help children with developmental disabilities (intellectual impairments), children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and children who are dependent on care in daily living activities. Services² include:

These services are delivered through MCFD regional offices and contracted service providers.


¹	http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/spec_needs/supports.htm.

2. Child and Family Development

Budget in 2004/05: $661,722,000
Expenditures: $651,780,000
Actual Full-Time Equivalency [FTEs]: 2,650

This core business area covers a range of services for children, youth, and their families. Services include:

These programs are delivered through regional ministry offices, delegated Aboriginal child welfare agencies and contracted service providers.


¹	http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/spec_needs/eits.htm.

3. Child Care Services

Budget in 2004/05: $173,270,000
Expenditures: $173,097,000
Actual Full-Time Equivalency [FTEs]: 158

This core business area is responsible for supporting quality, sustainable child care services in B.C. communities, so that parents may choose from a range of safe and affordable options to meet their diverse needs.

The division promotes quality child care throughout the province and helps parents with its cost. We provide subsidies to make child care accessible to lower-income parents. We assist child care operators through capital and operating funds. We support child care workers and parents through training, professional development, and parent and provider referrals. Services include:

4. Provincial Services

Budget in 2004/05: $94,028,000
Expenditures: $90,769,000
Actual Full-Time Equivalency [FTEs]: 610

This core business area is primarily responsible for the administration of specialized provincial services for children and youth, to support and complement the delivery of regionally-based community services.

Key functions performed through MCFD Victoria headquarters include: establishing policy and standards; leading provincial planning; and providing corporate and operational support for programs such as Children and Youth with Special Needs, Child and Youth Mental Health, Youth Justice, Youth Services and Safe Care.

Provincial Services also directly manages specialized programs that complement Child and Family Development services administered by the five CFD regions and by Community Living Services. In this operational capacity, the division acts as a "sixth" MCFD region. These specialized provincial services include:

5. Executive and Support Services

Budget in 2004/05: $18,110,000
Expenditures: $20,489,000
Actual Full-Time Equivalency [FTEs]: 183

This core business area provides overall advice, direction, leadership and support for ministry programs and personnel. Services include:

Organizational Changes

Since the release of the ministry's 2004/05 Service Plan in February 2004, three significant changes have been made to MCFD's core business areas:

Significant Changes in Policy Direction

In 2004/05, the ministry continued to make changes that provide more flexible and effective service delivery in both Child and Family Development and Community Living Services. These ongoing changes provide more socially-inclusive arrangements, choice and flexibility in services for children with special needs, adults with developmental disabilities, and their families.

Child welfare practices also continued to change, moving away from a preference for "in care" options toward a range of family and community-based out-of-care options, while protecting the safety and well-being of vulnerable children and youth.

In the year ahead, MCFD will continue to focus ministry resources on maximizing opportunities for supporting families and individuals to help them meet their goals.

Ministry Operating Context

Changing Demographics and Service Needs

In British Columbia there are approximately 915,000 children and youth, representing about 22 per cent of the province's total population. An estimated 590,000 are children aged 0–12, including 248,000 children under age six. The child population
(0–12 years) has declined by five per cent since 2001, while the population under age six has declined by six per cent over the same time frame.

The number of Aboriginal children in B.C. is decreasing at a slower rate than the population of non-Aboriginal children. As a result, the percentage of the province's child population that is Aboriginal continues to increase.

Child Care

Of the approximately 590,000 children aged 0–12 in B.C., an estimated 42 per cent (250,000 children) receive some child care services while parents are working, going to school or participating in community activities.

On average for 2004/05, approximately 25,000 spaces for children aged 0–12 were supported partially through child care subsidies.

Special Needs and Developmental Disabilities

In B.C. we are seeing an increase in life expectancy, a decrease in infant mortality, and a greater incidence of some disabilities, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). These factors continue to increase the demand for life-long services delivered to adults with developmental disabilities, and to children and youth with special needs.

The number of adults with developmental disabilities using MCFD services increased by 39.5 per cent between January 1997 and March 2005. Ministry services for individuals with disabilities were used by 8,941 individuals in March 2003. This number increased to 9,277 in March 2004 and to 9,611 by March 2005.

The increase in the number of adults with developmental disabilities being served is primarily a result of youth with special needs turning nineteen, and aging parents requiring assistance with caregiving or alternate care for their adult children.

Many adults with developmental disabilities are cared for by their parents. As the parents age they sometimes need additional assistance to care for their adult children, who themselves may require more complex services.

Child Protection and Adoption

The number of children in care, which dropped from a high of 10,775 in June 2001, was stable throughout 2004/05. As of March 2005, there were only 9,071 children in care. These figures include some children and youth with special needs including some children and youth in care by parental agreement. Forty-eight per cent of all children in care were Aboriginal.

There are almost 1,700 children whose after-care plan is adoption. There were over 300 adoption placements in 2004/05. Recruiting adoption applicants continues to be a MCFD priority, particularly applicants from minority cultures.

Youth at Risk

An estimated one per cent of young people aged 16–18 years (about 1,700 individuals) are considered to be at high-risk and are living in situations that jeopardize their safety and well-being.

Risk factors could include sexual exploitation, misuse of alcohol and drugs, significant mental health issues, involvement in criminal activities, homelessness, and detachment from family, school and work.

Youth in Custody

Youth custody counts remained stable in 2004/05. An average of 155 youth (aged 12–17 years) were in custody at facilities throughout the province in 2004/05, and an average of 2,469 youth were on supervision in the community. This compares to an average of 257 youth in custody and 3,647 on community supervision in 2001/02.

In 2004/05, about 38 per cent of the total number of youth in custody were Aboriginal and 14 per cent were female.

New Era Commitments

The following New Era commitments were outstanding as of the beginning of 2004/05^†.

New Era Commitment	Progress in 2004/05
Stop the endless bureaucratic restructuring that has drained resources from child and family services.	The ministry is moving community living services to a Crown Service Delivery Agency, Community Living British Columbia (CLBC), in the Summer of 2005. This date was revised to incorporate a jointly developed comprehensive, plan to transfer responsibility. Services will first be transferred, then transformed to reflect CLBC's vision of a flexible, person-centred approach.
With the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, fight child prostitution and youth crime with specific legislation aimed at providing greater protection to children at risk, and greater parental responsibility for children who commit crimes.	Ongoing. Extensive public consultation recommended that before proceeding with the proposed Safe Care legislation, the ministry should strengthen the network of voluntary supports and services available as alternatives to, and after, discharge from Safe Care.