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I cannot comprehend why resourcing help to families is such a difficult concept to affect. Many families that could be helped never receive help. Of course I do not understand all of the human dynamics of individual cases. I cannot know the stresses that social workers feel when working with adults and parents who are challenged by habits, substances, and life. I do not understand how budgetary cuts have reduced the availability of services. Yet those issues do not ultimately account for what I have been learning in recent years.
Authorized people with bachelor's degrees, even master's degrees in social work, are working with B.C. families and so often the result is a family, instead of gaining strength and remaining intact, becomes severed as a result of MCFD's involvement. The Ministry office in Victoria hears the negative public vibrations all over the province, but it does not understand what is wrong or how it can be corrected. Regional MCFD teams are not going to initiate significant change themselves. This Ministry can no longer endure bad press. Shocking stories continue.
We need a model of casework that ensures consistent practices which support improved outcomes for children, youth and families. It seems simplistic and it should be self evident that MCFD needs to place a greater emphasis upon intake and assessment of children, youth and families at the initial contact in every case in order to insure that the services that are planned are as effective as possible. What a novel idea to concentrate on improved outcomes for all clients using intervention supports and services. There are countless people reasons to explain why we do not have confidence that best practice and improvement is a priority to which our MCFD is committed.
This Blog has been advocating the return of Ayn Van Dyk to her daddy Derek Hoare who is her cistodial parent, who loves her and his devoted to her, and his highly capable of caring for her.
More often then not, when a family has their children apprehended, resources are taken away from them that they desperately need to maintain a household.
ReplyDeleteFor example, since the children are no longer in your care, you can no longer claim the child tax benefit or if you are poor and on social assistance, then your monthly payment is reduced to that needed to support adults only, forcing many to move to a smaller place that may not have enough bedrooms to support the immediate return of the children.
I know of one specific case where a single parent had spent years on a waiting list for subsidized daycare so that they could afford to work, and were using it, but soon after the kids were apprehended, the child protection agency cancelled the day care spot a week before a court date when "plans of care" were to be submitted. Obviously, this lone single parent could no longer claim to have daycare available as part of their plan of care, thereby reducing their chances of getting their kids back when in front of a judge since no one would be available to look after the kids while at work. And staying home to look after the kids meant no work and no income needed to support the kids either. The social worker could have waited a week until after the court date before cancelling the day care that took years to obtain. The social worker's action reeks of arrogance as the assumption seems to be that the judge is automatically going to side with them anyway and keep the children in care.
Once children have been apprehended, reducing the financial support structure and other resources to struggling parents is often part of the strategy to ensure that parents will be unsuccessful in their bid to regain their children, since they can now claim that the housing is inadequate, or that the person does not have stable employment, or has not made adequate provisions to care for the children if working.
This is why it's important for parents to share what's happening with them to their friends and family so that they can draw upon these resources for support, because you have to assume that any government support (programs/funding) will be withdrawn.
I post this for Anonymous who has had trouble with the comment feature of the blog today.
ReplyDelete"To make a long story short, we need to see more transparency and accountability. MCFD social workers should be stripped off their absolute, unlimited and uncontested power, and it should be legislated. MCFD should be closely and strictly supervised by an independent, elected body similar to the police supervisory boards or school boards of trustees. Moreover, judges should more readily cite lying on the witness stand social workers for contempt of court and impose real penalties, jail terms included".