Good afternoon,
As you may have heard, yesterday I participated in an announcement with Families Minister Rochelle Squires. At the press conference, the General Child and Family Services Authority (General Authority) and the Manitoba government introduced Manitoba’s first Supported Guardianship Program to provide assistance for family members who become legal guardians of a child currently in the care of child and family services.
We have been working on this program in collaboration with the Directors’ Leadership Table and our agencies for over a year. As announced yesterday, we will be proceeding on this initiative with an anticipated launch date of early fall. The provincial Single Envelope Funding (SEF) Manual implemented by the General Authority in January of this year authorizes the use of SEF resources for innovative initiatives like this Supported Guardianship Program.
The General Authority has developed a Supported Guardianship Policy Statement, which has been approved by our Board of Directors, and a brochure with Frequently Asked Questions which provides useful information for caregivers whom the agency is considering for supported guardianship.
The General Authority will be offering comprehensive training for staff on the new program via webinars starting this month and continuing through the summer and into September. This training will provide details on the financial and other supports available for guardians, eligibility criteria, expectations regarding involvement of birth families and other key topics. It will also summarize the research that clearly shows the positive outcomes for children when they grow up in a stable, loving home with family.
Please read the press release here. Or watch the news conference here.
As I said during yesterday’s press conference, we know that this program is good for children as it promotes positive lifelong health and mental health outcomes.
I hope you are as excited about the launch of this program as we are. This will make a positive difference in the lives of many children currently in our care.
Best Regards,
Jay Rodgers, CEO, General Child and Family Services Authority