The department is working to ensure the effective and smooth transition of client services and staff from the Regional Health Authorities over the next year. A new organizational model will be introduced and the first phase of a new computerized case management system will be designed to better support frontline workers to do their jobs more effectively and therefore better serve the province's most vulnerable children and youth.

"Social workers across the province have told us that a major issue is the fact that they have to spend too much time on other duties, including administrative work, and also that the existing information technology system is extremely problematic," said Minister Burke. "We have listened to their concerns and we have determined a new organizational structure and case management system are essential in order to enable their focused attention on serving our children and youth. The new case management system will not only enhance the clinical practice of social workers but help ensure provincial standards can be monitored."

A key goal under the new department is to revitalize the child protection system, guided by improved and progressive legislation, as well as to instil a culture of accountability and excellence in all Child, Youth and Family Services program areas.

"Budget 2010 clearly reflects our commitment to putting children and youth first and to ultimately transform the system," added Minister Burke. "The ability to monitor and assess systemic issues that have plagued the child protection system will be greatly strengthened under the direct management of the department.

Key new investments include:

• $400,000 to design the first phase of a multi-phase project that will ultimately establish a new computerized case management system for social workers and managers. The new system will be implemented over three years at a cost of $15.4 million and tailored to the specific documentation and strategic objective needs of the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services. It will be a less cumbersome system than the existing one, and will be much more effective in terms of the clinical management of child protection cases, accountability and quality control.
• $3.1 million to set up more than 600 staff in 52 locations on the Provincial Government technology network. This investment will allow for the assessment, design and execution of a transition plan for new employees, including the purchase of new software licenses and hardware, such as desktops and laptops.

• $1.8 million investment to improve service delivery through increased resources under the new structure. This will include the creation of 27 new positions primarily to help better support social workers on the frontline and allow them to focus strictly on the practice of social work.

• $21.8 million to help cover the cost of residential services for at-risk children and youth. The department is committed to researching innovative solutions to address the shortage of foster homes with the long-term goal of creating a full continuum of appropriate placement options for at-risk children and youth
• $30,600 for the Foster Families Association to support capacity building within the organization. The Provincial Government is also investing $36,000 to create a foster parent survey to profile existing foster parents to better understand their needs in an effort to address recruitment and retention issues.

The focus of the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services over the last year has included:

• Creating a new Provincial Government department structure and establishing a leadership team to drive change;
• Meeting directly with frontline staff and social workers across the province to get feedback on the direction of the new department and to gain insight into regional challenges;
• Reviewing the child protection legislation to make it more child-focused and to ensure that every policy that is developed under the new department is rooted in best practice;
• Assessing the computerized case management system; and,
• Developing a new organizational structure for employees which will be introduced over the next year.

The Provincial Government has already made significant investments in the area of Child, Youth and Family Services. There have been 223 new positions added to the system since 2006 with a total of $24 million in new investments in the areas of training, human resources, technology, quality improvement, as well as policy and program development.

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