GN addressing child and family service gaps ‘with urgency and determination’: deputy minister
Legislative assembly committee hears from territorial officials, auditor general’s office representatives
Joanathan Ellsworth, Nunavut’s deputy minister of family services, says the GN is making improvements to its child and family services. (Photo by Jeff Pelletier)
Improvements to staffing and case management are among the changes the Government of Nunavut has implemented to address gaps in its child and family services.
Jonathan Ellsworth, the territory’s deputy minister of family services, outlined the changes while speaking Tuesday before the legislative assembly’s public accounts committee.
The committee is hearing this week from Andrew Hayes, deputy auditor general of Canada, on his office’s report on child and family services in Nunavut, which was tabled in the legislature in March.
That report was a followup to federal auditor general Karen Hogan’s 2023 report that said the GN was failing to protect vulnerable children and youths who are in foster care for reasons such as abuse, harm or neglect.
“In this followup audit, we found that the Government of Nunavut took initial steps to address the failures affecting services for children, youth and families,” Hayes said Tuesday afternoon, pointing to improvements to staffing, training and information management.
“While these initial actions enable progress, they have yet to meaningfully improve outcomes for vulnerable children, youth and their families. Children and youth in Nunavut remain at risk of not receiving the protections that they are entitled to under Nunavut’s Child and Family Services Act.”
Ellsworth responded in his opening remarks.
“I’m pleased to report that the Department of Family Services has been working with urgency and determination to address long-standing gaps in the child and family services system,” he said.
“Our shared goal is clear: to ensure every child in Nunavut grows up safe, supported, and with the care every child has the right to.”
The department’s family wellness division has undergone a “restructuring” to improve its delivery of services, Ellsworth said.
He said the department has focused on recruiting Inuit family wellness workers and ensuring staff are trained on Matrix, which is the case management program the department uses.
Family Services is also working with other departments across the GN in responding to reports of child abuse and neglect.
“While we’ve made meaningful progress in systems, staffing and strategy, our focus remains firmly on achieving real measurable outcomes,” Ellsworth said.
“We are committed to helping every child in Nunavut grow up safe, supported, and empowered to thrive within a caring community.”
Hayes, Ellsworth and several other GN officials present in the legislative chamber took questions from MLAs Tuesday and are expected to get more questions Wednesday morning.
On Wednesday afternoon, Hogan is also expected to speak at the committee.
When stating their commitments to children of Nunavut, Ellsworth seemed to have left out “family connections” or “cultural connection.”
When it is “family connections” that are the reason that the child is not safe, supported, and empowered to thrive the “family connections” need to be removed. if the community and other family is not willing able to remove the adult then the child will be removed.
Also yes cultural connections are also very important and there should be programs to assist with this, however perhaps the Government is not the best to provide that at this time (when have they ever done this well). Maybe some of out Inuit non-profits of Inuit Orgs.
I have serious doubts about whether any real progress is being made. I want to share the story of a small group of children who, after being taken by social services, were placed in the care of their parent’s immediate family. Unfortunately, these children continue to exist in an environment filled with alcohol, mirroring the conditions they faced while living with their parent. Despite the substantial financial support the foster family receives for caring for them, these children often find themselves wearing hand-me-downs, lacking the new clothing and warmth that every child deserves. It’s disheartening to think that while the foster family benefits from significant compensation—as well as additional funds from various sources—the children’s basic needs and sense of security remain unaddressed. And please do not suggest reporting them to Social Services, as it is actually an incompetent social worker who would not place them with relatives where they could receive healthy, loving care while still remaining within the family.
As a former staff there, I couldn’t bear to watch the incompetent decisions that come from management. I just want you to know that 9/10 the social workers supervisor will make the decision without actually assessing the situation in person, which often leads to issues like the one you described. The social worker plays a part in this too. I would recommend reaching out to the Representative of Child and Youth Office (RCYO) and make a complaint. The social worker and supervisor will be forced to provide documents to support their decision to place the child there, and they often can’t come up with the documents. Nevertheless, your concerns are valid – the children are suffering and this is why I could not bare to work there anymore when the decision making comes from people who are burnt out, underqualified and are unable to provide clinical supervision.
This is the biggest sham ever…
Focus on case management system that cost a million dollars, and workers were supposed to be trained on it already?
The real focus needs to be on the children they are continually putting at risk…
Look at the facebook video that just surfaced…
DO better Mr, Ellsworth…
Time for the auditor general to talk to current and previous staff and find out what the working conditions are for social workers. They’re working for days on end without real breaks, the management in south baffin are bullying their front line. Do better and support your staff.