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About Us

Welcome

Welcome to the General Child and Family Services Authority (also known as the GA) and our website! There are many ways that the GA supports children, youth and families. Please read on to learn more about us. If at any time, you have questions or concerns, or you can’t find what you are looking for on our website, please feel free to contact us at (204) 984-9360 or toll free at 1-866-803-2814.

The GA is one of four child and family services authorities in Manitoba established in 2003. We are governed by a Board of Directors appointed by the Minister of Families. Our Board is responsible for developing our vision statement and setting the strategic direction for our service system.

Our vision statement is, “Children and youth who are safe, happy, thriving and growing up with their family in a healthy, caring community.”

Our primary role is the oversight and support of our mandated agencies. We assist agencies to build capacity and to continually improve the services offered to children, youth and families throughout the province.

Agencies

As an authority, we mandate four agencies. Three are private, not-for-profit agencies. They include:

Our fourth and largest agency, Winnipeg, Rural and Northern Child and Family Services, is a public agency with two branches, Winnipeg Child and Family Services and Rural and Northern Child and Family Services. Both branches are within the Department of Families. Through oversight and collaboration with our agencies, our primary responsibility is to ensure high quality child and family services throughout the province. There are many ways we support our agencies. Please see the graphic below for some examples.

Legislation

All four authorities operate under the same legislative framework. This legislative framework sets out the legal obligations and duties of the authorities. It is comprised of the following:

• Child and Family Services Authorities Act
• The Child and Family Services Authorities Regulation
• The Child and Family Services Act

À propos de la Régie générale

Bienvenue sur le site Web de la Régie générale des services à l’enfant et à la famille (connu aussi sous le nom de RG)!

La RG aide de diverses manières les enfants, les jeunes ainsi que les familles. Veuillez poursuivre votre lecture pour en savoir plus sur nous. Si à tout moment vous avez des questions ou des soucis, ou que vous n’arrivez pas à trouver ce que vous cherchez sur notre site Web, n’hésitez pas à nous contacter en composant le (204) 984-9360 ou sans frais le 1 866 803-2814.

La RG est une des quatre régies des services à l’enfant et à la famille au Manitoba créées en 2003.

Nous sommes gouvernés par un conseil d’administration dont les membres sont nommés par le ministre des Familles du Manitoba. Notre conseil d’administration a pour rôle de formuler notre énoncé de vision et de définir l’orientation stratégique de notre système de services.

Notre énoncé de vision est le suivant : « Des enfants et des jeunes en sécurité, heureux, qui s’épanouissent et grandissent avec leur famille au sein d’une collectivité en santé et bienveillante. »  

Notre rôle principal est de superviser et soutenir nos offices mandatés. Nous apportons notre aide aux offices pour renforcer les capacités et continuellement améliorer les services offerts aux enfants, aux jeunes ainsi qu’aux familles dans toute la province.

Pour en savoir plus sur la RG et sur ce que nous faisons, cliquez sur les onglets suivants :

Offices

En tant que régie, nous mandatons quatre offices. Trois d’entre eux sont privés, à but non lucratif :

Notre quatrième et plus grand office, les Services à l’enfant et à la famille de Winnipeg, des régions rurales et du Nord est un office public composé de deux divisions, les Services à l’enfant et à la famille de Winnipeg et la Direction des services ruraux et du Nord. Ces deux divisions dépendent du ministère des Familles.

Par l’intermédiaire de la supervision et de la collaboration avec nos offices, notre principale responsabilité est d’assurer l’excellente qualité des services à l’enfance et à la famille dans toute la province. Nous soutenons nos offices de diverses façons. Quelques exemples de ce soutien sont présentés dans le graphique ci-dessous.

Législation

Les quatre offices sont régis par le même cadre législatif. Ce cadre législatif définit les obligations et tâches légales des régies. Il comprend :

What We Do

Leadership

  • Set the vision & broad strategic direction for our service system
  • Promote innovation by working with agencies to implement new initiatives that focus on family preservation & reunification
  • Inform the public about the initiatives and activities of the GA service system

Assist Staff
To Build Skills & Confidence

  • Develop exciting new training opportunities that reflect known leading practices
  • Promote a learning environment that ensures the integartion of new skills into practice
  • Consult with & advise front-line workers and supervisors

Support Agencies
To Continually Improve Practice

  • Conduct quality assurance reviews that have a strengths-based focus
  • Encourage ross-agency learning through peer-led training opportunities
  • Create opportunities for children, youth & families to share their perspectives on services received

Oversight

  • Provide funding to our agencies
  • Regularly monitor expenditures throughout the year
  • Work with agencies to develop annual spending plans to achieve system-wide goals

Research & Reporting

  • Conduct research to identify positive emerging practices in child and family services
  • Conduct evaluations & report on outcomes
  • Continually monitor/report on key service trends

Promote
Opportunities for Youth to Succeed as Adults

  • Provide information on scholarships
  • Co-ordinate tuition waivers
  • Offer a GA scholarship and bursary program

A Welcome From Our CEO & Board

As our vision states, we strongly believe in children and youth who are safe, happy, thriving and growing up with their family in a healthy, caring community.

The role of the board is to provide governance around the many issues and challenges facing child welfare and to ensure that our strategic directions always fit our vision and mission statements. To that end, our key initiatives over the last several years have focused on providing preventative and solution-focused, strengths-based approaches with families, with an emphasis on collaboration and engagement, and using a network of people who care about the children and are invested in their safety.

You will see from the many initiatives described on this website the practices we have put into place serve to strengthen family and community, helping to achieve our goals of healthy and supported children and youth. We invite you to explore the programs and initiatives included on our website in more detail.

Best Regards, GA Board of Directors and CEO Jay Rodgers

Mission, Vision, Guiding Principles

Mission

We are committed to the protection and care of children & families by building on the strengths of individuals.

Vision

Children and youth who are safe, happy, thriving and growing up with their family in a healthy, caring community.

The General CFS Authority Office in Downtown Winnipeg

Guiding Principles

In conducting our business, the General Authority will apply and promote the following principles:

Child/Family Centred Practice

  • The best interest of the child is paramount
  • A child functions best within a supportive family and community. To the greatest extent possible, families will be supported to provide a healthy, safe environment
  • Policies and practices are strength-based, asset-focused and promote family and community-based systems of care and mutual support

Effective and Responsible Services

  • Quality services are designed to meet the needs of those we support
  • Services are evidence based, comprehensive, responsive and recognize and respect diversity
  • The delivery of quality service is best achieved through promotion and support of a well-qualified workforce
    Public accountability and fiscal responsibility are fundamental to the work of the authority

Board of Directors

James Lowry

Chair

Lizanne Lachance

Vice-Chair

Craig Johnson

Treasurer

Lorne Belmore

Board Member

Gregg Hanson

Board Member

Darlene MacDonald

Board Member

Joan Haugh

Board Member

Abimbola (Bim) Akin-Akinbulumo

Board Member

Director’s Leadership Table – Core Values

The Directors’ Leadership Table approved the following core values which together serve to articulate the collective identity, culture and service philosophy endorsed by the General Authority as a service system. These core values are an integral part of the framework that guides the development of annual operational plans for strengthening services.

The General Authority embraces a strengths-based approach as the philosophical framework that will guide its work. Consistent with this perspective, the General Authority’s Directors’ Leadership Table adopts the following as core values:

We believe in promoting hope, optimism and capacity building through a strengths focus that cultivates, appreciates and enhances the talents, skills, assets and success of the individuals and groups that are part of the General Authority service system.

We believe in inclusiveness, where diverse and unique opinions are welcomed. Where staff, youth, families and stakeholders are empowered to have a “voice”, invited to participate in the planning process and given the opportunity to influence decisions.

We believe in transparency, where plans and decisions are communicated in a timely manner and in that communication, the rationale, expected results and connection to best practice principles are clearly evident.

We believe that plans and decisions should reflect best practices, proven reserach, lived experience, and other sources known to result in positive outcomes for children, youth and families.

We believe that outcomes for children, youth and families are more likely to be positive when staff feel engaged, valued, respected and supported in their work environment.