Through its agencies and service regions, the General Authority is responsible for overseeing the care of all children and youth who come into contact with the child welfare system.

CHILDREN AND YOUTH RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES

WHAT ARE THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE UNDER THE LAW?

Children and youth have many rights under the law, including the right to be safe and feel safe, to be treated with affection, to be educated and to be protected against abuse and neglect and the threat of harm. In Manitoba, children are protected and families supported by a law called The Child and Family Services Act.

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WHAT ARE A CHILD’S RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES?

  • Children have other rights, too, including:
    • The right to a permanent home, food and clothing.
    • The right to age-appropriate supervision and positive discipline.
    • The right to go to school.
    • The right to have medical/dental care.Children should also be empowered to make positive choices, feel supported and safe in decisions around their future and to be aware of supports and resources available to assist them if they would like or need them.

RIGHTS OF CHILDREN OR YOUNG PEOPLE IN CARE OF CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES (CFS)

  • If you are a child or young person in the care of child and family services, you have important rights, including:
    • Meeting or speaking with your case worker on a regular basis.
    • Participating in decisions being made about you. It is also important for you to understand this planning.
    • Being involved in your care plan.
    • Having information about you kept confidential.
    • Knowing who your case worker is and how to contact them.
    • Connecting to your cultural, linguistic, religious and spiritual upbringing and heritage.
    • Maintaining a connection to your community or people and to your biological family and origins.
    • Stating your opinion of decisions made on your behalf by case workers and caregivers and to have help in telling someone and to be heard.

To learn more about your rights while in the care of a CFS agency, and the role of the Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth, check out the Manitoba Advocate youth rights page. For additional information regarding your rights and how to address concerns while involved with a CFS agency, click on our Concerns & Inquiries page or see the information below.
• Children and youth also have universal rights set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS
If you have questions or concerns, the following resources may help:
• VOICES: Manitoba’s Youth In Care Network. This organization provides support, encouragement, and advocacy to young people in and from care in Manitoba. They can be contacted at 204-982-4956 or by email at info@voices.mb.ca.
• The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth: At any time you have a question or a concern, you may contact the The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth.The Advocate’s job is to assist children and young people in Manitoba with concerns about their rights or about decisions being made about their lives. You can visit the office in person in Winnipeg or Thompson, or call 1-800-263-7146 or email info@manitobaadvocate.ca.

CHILD IN CARE CONCERNS
If you have a concern about your care, there are a number of ways you can ensure that your voice is heard and that positive changes can be made. Child and Family Services will make every effort to help you resolve the issue.

1. The first step is to speak with your individual case worker if you have concerns or questions. If the issue is not solved at that point, you can ask to speak with the CFS supervisor. Often, problems can be worked out with your case worker and/or their supervisor.

2. If the matter is still not satisfactorily addressed after you speak with both your case worker and supervisor, you have the right to contact the person at the agency who oversees the supervisor.

3. After that, you may contact the director of the agency who will work all of you to help you come to a positive solution to the problem.

4. The last step in the complaint process, if all other avenues have been exhausted, is to contact the General Authority at 1-800-803-2814, or by email at generalauthority@gov.mb.ca and someone will assist you to help you resolve your concern.

(At any time, you may also contact The Manitoba Advocate about your concerns).

FOSTER/GROUP CARE CONCERNS
• If you are a child or young person in foster care who has a complaint about your agency, your foster or kinship caregiver is required to help you make a complaint using the steps above.

• If you are a child or young person in group care (i.e. group homes, treatment centres and institutions), and you have a complaint about something related to your group care, you have the right to bring the complaint to your case worker or to an adult you trust. Every group care program in Manitoba should also have a notice posted in a conspicuous place, accessible to all residents, which will outline the grievance procedure, including information on contacting the director (via the licensing specialist at 204-945-6964) and The Manitoba Advocate. The policy is available in full in the Facility Standards volume of the Child and Family Services Standards Manual: https://gov.mb.ca/fs/cfsmanual/pubs/facility_standards.pdf (Section 2.4.8).

Under both these processes, children in care have the right to express complaints or concerns about their placement, either in a foster home or a group home. Again, you may also contact The Manitoba Advocate to discuss the issue you are experiencing.

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Resources for Children & Youth

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