Liberals vow to reduce kids in care by 50%, but offer no details

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This article was published 30/03/2016 (3486 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba Liberals would cut the number of children in care by half in their first four years of government while using existing spending more wisely, Fort Richmond candidate Kyra Wilson said Wednesday.

She said the Liberals’ strategy to reduce by 50 per cent the number of children in care over a relatively short period had no specifics, other than saying they would consult extensively, restructure the system, and do a better job than the NDP.

There are more between 10,000 and 11,000 children in Manitoba who are currently government wards.

At the same time as promising Liberals would slash the number of CFS clients, she said children in care would no longer “age out” of the system at 18 years old. They’d stay in care unless they actively chose to leave the system.

Liberal Leader Rana Bokhari promised Tuesday that the Liberals might even extend the age limit of those in care to 25, without increasing spending by more than the two per cent a year.

Wilson said the Liberals can reduce the number of children in care “by half… at least, within the first term,” which would be four years in office.

The way the NDP has handled Child and Family Services is responsible for “the damages it has caused our families in Manitoba,” Wilson said.

“We have more children in care than we did at the height of residential schools. The NDP have had 16 years to create positive change, and they have not done that.

“If you speak out against the system, you get punished,” said Wilson, who vowed that if she is the minister in charge of family services, “I would want every worker to feel open in coming to me.”

The Conservatives have no interest in reforming the system and don’t understand the issues, she alleged.

The Liberals would consult widely with families and communities, especially indigenous families, said Wilson, who is on leave from the First Nations family advocate office of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. And they would spend existing money much more wisely, she promised.

“You don’t need to put more money into the system; you just need to restructure,” Wilson said.

Now, she said, agencies begin transitioning young people out of the care of child-welfare agencies when they’re 16, but when they age out, they’re not ready to work or study.

Remaining in care past 18 would not have to mean being in foster care, she said. “I don’t think they necessarily have to be in a group home.”

Young people could be in care up to age 25 while living on their own, but with more resources available and with all the supports in place that they would get if living in a foster or group home.

The NDP defended its handling of the child welfare system Wednesday while dumping on the Liberals for not committing to customary care, in which children on a reserve are put in the care of people other than their parents, while remaining in their indigenous community.

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“The NDP is committed to keeping children safe, supporting families and supporting communities so that all children can get a strong start in life,” the party said in a news release. “We are disappointed the Liberals will not commit to customary care. This is a monumental system change that Indigenous leaders and families across the province have called for and support.

“Our NDP government is committed to strengthening devolution with a customary care model which allows indigenous communities to provide traditional care for their children with flexible financial supports. This means more children staying in the communities they grew up in, remaining connected to their land, culture, and traditions.

“Our Building Futures program provides comprehensive, wrap-around transition services to youth 16 to 25 in care or formerly in care, and we will continue to strengthen these supports. A re-elected NDP government will also provide free tuition to children in care,” the NDP said.

And, not surprisingly, the Manitoba Conservatives treated both the Liberals and NDP with scorn Wednesday: “It’s good that the Liberals have finally come to the table on CFS issues and want to see the recommendations of the Phoenix Sinclair report implemented. Our party called for this nearly two years ago. There are more than 11,000 children in care in Manitoba. It’s clear the Selinger NDP’s approach has not worked,” said the Tories in a news release.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca