BRITISH
COLUMBIA
JUL 22 2008
Ref: 175385
Melanie Filiatrault
President
BC Federation of Foster Parent Associations
200 - 7342 Winston St
Burnaby BC V5A2H1
Dear Ms. Filiatrault:
We are writing to update you on two recently announced changes in ministry responsibilities that may be
of significance to the persons your organization supports.
On June 23, 2008, the Honourable Gordon Campbell, Premier, announced changes in the provincial
Cabinet. Responsibilities for services for children with special needs currently provided by
Community Living British Columbia (CLBC) will move back to the Ministry of Children and
Family Development (MCFD). As you know, some services to children were included in the mandate of
CLBC when it was established in July 2005.
Over the last three years, government has received significant input from families who believe that the
division of responsibility for services to children with special needs and their families is confusing and is
not responsive to the needs of families. Families, service providers, and the Representative for Children
and Youth have expressed concerns about how current services for children and youth with special needs
are structured.
MCFD is committed to enhancing and improving the system of support for children and youth with
special needs and their families or caregivers. By placing responsibility for these services with the MCFD,
rather than dividing responsibility with CLBC, we expect to make it easier for families to get the right
services at the right time for themselves and for their children. In addition, MCFD responsibility for
services will better enable integration of services between provincial ministries, including MCFD, Health
and Education. MCFD will approach this work in consultation with CLBC in order to ensure minimum
disruption and also build on good practice and innovative responses to family’s needs that families would
want to continue.
Government also recognizes the increased need to coordinate services for vulnerable adults, including
those not eligible for CLBC adult services. The new Ministry of Housing and Social Development
(MHSD) has been created to better enable government to identify and respond to the needs of this
population and provide them with the necessary supports to live as safely and as independently as possible
in the community. CLBC services to adults are a critical component of that range of supports and having
CLBC report to the MHSD will better enable an integrated approach to services for vulnerable adults.
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MCFD and MHSD will work closely to assist in successfully transitioning youth with special needs to
effective adult supports. That will include transitioning to adult community living supports, where
eligible.
In the coming weeks, MCFD will be working closely with CLBC to ensure services are not disrupted
as responsibilities for children’s services transfer to the ministry. Services to individual children and
their families will be the focus.
Please contact us if any further clarification regarding these changes is required. Thank you for the
ongoing support your organization provides for those who provide care for children and youth with
special needs. We look forward to continuing to work with you.
Tom Christensen
Rich Coleman
Minister of Children and
Minister of Housing and
Family Development
Social Development
Ministry of
Office of the
Mailing Address:
Location:
Children and Family
Minister
Parliament Buildings
Parliament Buildings
Development
Victoria BC V8V iX4
Victoria
Sincerely
,
