Greetings,
I hope this message finds you well and enjoying the spring weather. Today I would like to inform you about some of the more recent activities of the General Authority (GA), our agencies and the Boards of Directors of our three private agencies.
Over the last few months, the Associate CEO (Christy Holnbeck) and I have been hosting an event called “The Present and Future State of the Authority.” Staff from each agency were invited to attend these presentations. On Feb. 5, 2024, Christy and I did this presentation in person at Child and Family Services of Western Manitoba. While in Brandon, we also had the opportunity to do a shorter version of the presentation for their Board of Directors. We then did an in-person presentation to Child and Family Services of Central Manitoba on Feb. 7, 2024 (their Board of Directors had previously seen a version of the presentation). Two in-person sessions were held for Winnipeg CFS and Jewish CFS staff on the morning and afternoon of Feb. 29, 2024. The final session, for Rural and Northern CFS employees, was held virtually on April 8, 2024.
All were extremely well-attended and provided us with invaluable feedback. Agency staff asked many thought-provoking questions. The GA is committed to doing these types of events several times a year.
One of the GA’s strategic priorities for 2023/24 is to focus on regular organizational engagement. To further collaboration between our agencies, we held a meeting on April 10, 2024 in Portage la Prairie which was attended by representatives of the Boards of Directors of our private agencies (CFS of Central Manitoba, CFS of Western Manitoba and Jewish Child and Family Service), the GA’s Board of Directors and the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Community Service and Supports Division. Agency Chief Executive Officers/Executive Directors also attended the event. Most participants were there in-person, with others participating virtually.
The meeting began with opening remarks from the Chairpersons from the GA and private boards and the Assistant Deputy Minister. Next, there was an informative presentation on the status of Indigenous laws coming into force and the potential implications for the GA service system. Following that, board members broke up into three small table groups to discuss several topics, including developing a system-wide truth and reconciliation framework, recruitment and retention strategies and providing services for culturally diverse families.
The April session was the second board-to-board meeting in the last twelve months. Both meetings were very well received and were an extremely productive way to further understanding and connection between all board members. We received very positive feedback from those who attended, both in person and virtually. The GA intends to continue to host board-to-boards, with the next one likely to take place in the fall of 2024.
The last GA activity I’d like to mention is the ongoing work, based on consultations with our agencies, to develop and host a supervisory summit in September 2024. The idea was sparked as part of the recent State of the Authority events as a way for supervisors to have a place to engage with, support and learn from, one another. A supervisory summit planning committee has been established, consisting of GA staff and supervisors from all agencies. Through participation in this inaugural summit, participants will have the opportunity to create a path forward on ways to enhance and create support for existing and future supervisors.
Planning meetings and discussions are ongoing as to the summit’s format and topics. We will provide more details about this important summit in the coming months.
I’d like to express my gratitude to all of our agency staff, and our board members, for their commitment to come together to share ideas, expertise and experiences at these events. Through positive and ongoing communication, we can continue to strengthen the services we provide to children, youth and families.
Best regards,
Jay Rodgers
Chief Executive Officer