Manitoba Government Invests in Training for Child and Family Service Workers

The Manitoba government is providing more than $600,000 to Yellowquill University College (YQUC) to support specialized training for Child and Family Services (CFS) staff, Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine announced today.

“This investment in training is a vital step in ensuring children in care are supported by people with the knowledge and training needed to keep them safe and supported,” said Fontaine. “This training will help case managers gain the formal certification and specialized knowledge needed to support children and families, strengthening the foundation of Indigenous-led child welfare on the path to Nations reassuming jurisdiction over child and family services.”

The First Nations Child and Family Services Worker Diploma Program launched this month with a cohort of 50 students. The two-year program provides Indigenous-led training to case managers within Indigenous CFS agencies, with a special focus on providing services to First Nations children and families.

Participants attend classes one week per month while continuing their employment, allowing them to immediately apply their learning in real-world settings. The curriculum includes a range of family centred, culturally appropriate topics tailored to the needs of First Nations families and communities.

This cohort will provide training for case managers across agencies mandated by the Southern First Nations Network of Care (SFNNC). The SFNNC oversees 13 mandated CFS agencies working directly with families across Manitoba, the minister said. Yellowquill already partners with several CFS agencies to deliver similar training programs across Manitoba.

“The CFS diploma program was developed by Dakota Ojibway Child and Family Services and Yellowquill in 2007 to ensure that staff were trained in a manner that was culturally relevant and dealt with real issues that occurred on a daily basis,” said Bobbi Pompana, project development, Yellowquill University College. “Students graduating from this diploma program can further their education by enrolling in the Bachelor of Relational Studies (post diploma) degree program also offered at YQUC. YQUC is proud of this program and very pleased that it is being recognized and funded by the Department of Families.”

This investment aligns with recommendations from the Phoenix Sinclair Inquiry, which emphasized the need for ongoing training for CFS workers. Key areas of focus include child development, trauma-informed practice, risk assessment, case planning, management and documentation, as well as engagement and empowerment with First Nations families.

The minister noted the Manitoba government also provides more than $1.1 million annually to CFS authorities to support the delivery of culturally appropriate training to foster caregivers, with an additional $558,500 provided to the Kinship and Foster Family Network of Manitoba for accessible online training available to all foster, kinship and customary care providers across Manitoba.

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For more information:

• Public information, contact Manitoba Government Inquiry: mgi@gov.mb.ca or 1-866-626-4862 or 204-945-3744.
• Media requests for general information, contact Communications and Engagement: newsroom@gov.mb.ca.
• Media requests for ministerial comment, contact Cabinet Communications: cabcom@manitoba.ca.

NT4