May 1, 2014
Province Introduces Proposed Legislation that would Strengthen Protections for Children in Care
– – –Reporting of Critical Incidents would become Required by Law: Minister Irvin-Ross
The Manitoba government has introduced legislation that would increase accountability in the child welfare system and foster a culture of learning from adverse events by making critical incident reporting required by law, Family Services Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross said today.
The proposed changes to the Child and Family Services Amendment Act would build on existing processes and would require the immediate reporting of a critical injury or death involving a child in care, Minister Irvin-Ross said. It would help to create a culture where those involved with the child welfare system could come forward without fear and participate fully in the critical incident review, the minister added.
“Children’s safety is the highest priority for Manitoba’s child welfare system,” said Minister Irvin-Ross. “When the people working with children in care share information about critical incidents, we are all able to learn and make changes to improve how we protect our province’s most vulnerable children.”
Minister Irvin-Ross noted a similar process has been crucial to transforming the health-care system so problems could be identified and important changes could be implemented to prevent the same kinds of incidents from happening again.
Under the proposed legislation, agency and authority staff, volunteers, student trainees, foster parents, child-care centre operators and those providing services in a place of safety, such as a family residence, would be legally obligated to immediately report critical incidents to the agency and authority involved, as well as to the director of child and family services. Operators of child-care facilities, other than foster homes, and those unfamiliar with the system would be required to report critical incidents to the director of child and family services.
Today’s proposed legislative amendments would be part of the actions being taken by government to strengthen protections for children following the release of the report of the inquiry into the murder of Phoenix Sinclair, Minister Irvin-Ross said. Commissioner Ted Hughes heard from 126 witnesses during 91 days of testimony and made 62 recommendations for improving the child welfare system and addressing underlying issues of poverty that can lead to child abuse, neglect or deaths.
The minister noted the province will consult with authorities, agencies and other stakeholders as it develops regulations to support the proposed legislation prior to its implementation.
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