nunavut child and family services: 2008-2009 annual report

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Munarhiliqiyikkut InuuhiriknirmulluDepartment of Health and Social ServicesMinistre de la Sant et des Services sociaux

Annual Report of the

Director of Child and Family Services

2008-2009


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An Overview of Social Services Programs

Contents

Directors Message 3

An overview of social services programs 4

Child and family services 4

Adoption services 5

Guardianship services 7

Adult support services 8

Family violence services 9

Facility based residential care 10

Supported and transitional living 11

Community corrections 12

Recommendations to improving social services 13


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2008-09 Annual Report of the Director of Child and Family Services

The Child and Family Services Actrequires the Directorof Child and Family Services to report to the Minister

of Health and Social Services (HSS) each year on theadministration of the Act This Annual Reportis for the2008/2009 scal year

This report contains a brief description of the socialservices programs provided by the Department of Healthand Social Services as well as information on the clientswe serve In closing, the report outlines some of thechallenges HSS faces in delivering the social servicesrequired to support children and families in Nunavut

The Department of Health and Social Services is

committed to providing client-centered programsand services to children and families across NunavutSome of these programs are required under Nunavutlegislation, such as the Child and Family Services Act,the Adoption Actand the Guardian and TrusteeshipAct Others, such as adult residential care and familyviolence response programs, have been developed bythe Department of Health and Social Services to addressparticular needs of Nunavut residents

Social Services Workers provide the service delivery forthe Department They are required to carry out many

different functions across the range of social servicesprograms for which the department is responsibleIt is important that our Social Services Workers begeneralists, as the territory is large, its population smalland Social Services staff are few in number

An issue that has emerged and that continues to be asource of concern is the number of children and youthrequiring specialized behavioural treatment and theneed to place them outside Nunavut, as there are nospecialized care facilities in the territory

As always, we express our appreciation to the peopleoutside the department who we work closely withand on whom we rely heavily for assistance andexpertise Without the help of professionals and otherNunavummiut who share our vision of wellness it wouldbe impossible to deliver effective and efcient programsand services for children, youth and families We thankthem for their dedication to protecting children andstrengthening families

Norm MurrayDirector of Child and Family Services

Directors Message


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Child and Family Services

Children in Nunavut have a right to expect protectionfrom physical harm, neglect and other forms of abuse,and to have their need for shelter, food and support met

Child and Family Services is established under the Childand Family Services Act Authority and responsibilityfor Child and Family Services ow from the Minister ofHealth and Social Services to the Director of Child andFamily Services, who is appointed by the Minister TheDirector of Child and Family Services appoints ChildProtection Workers and ensures that they have receivedthe training required to carry out their duties

Child and Family Services include: protection services for children investigations of abuse and neglect evaluation of parent and family supports voluntary agreements for assistance residential care for challenged children extended family and pre-approved foster homes,

group homes and specialized care facilities bothwithin Nunavut and in southern jurisdictions

Child and Family Services staff have the best interest ofevery child as their focus and aims to ensure the safety

and well-being of children and youth in Nunavut


On any given day during the 2008-2009 period, there

were 312 children receiving services across NunavutThis is an 18% increase over the previous year

Of the 312 children: approximately 30% were in Bafn Region, 25%

in Iqaluit, 25% in Kitikmeot Region, and 20% inKivalliq Region

119 were on a Voluntary Support Agreement anagreement between the Government of Nunavutand the parents of children who are not in need ofprotection, but who require assistance to provideappropriate care for their children

87 were on a Plan of Care a plan for service to achild who is in need of protection that is agreed on

by the client and the social services worker 61 were Permanent Wards children who theCourt has ordered be placed in the custody of theDirector of Child and Family

13 were Temporary Wards children who theCourt has ordered be placed in the custody ofthe Director of Child and Family Services fora specied period of time no more than 2consecutive years

32 were on a Support Services Agreement avoluntary agreement between the Government ofNunavut and a youth 16 to 18 years old who cannotreside at home for a reason that would place theyouth in need of protection under the Child and

Family Services Act 63 children or youth are between legal status orcourt pending


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Adoption Services

Adoption provides permanent families to children whosebirth families cannot care for them for any one of anumber of reasons Adoption is a lifelong experiencethat affects adopted children and adults, and birth andadoptive families It is both a legal and a social processThe purpose is to provide every child legally availablefor adoption with the stability and security of new andpermanent family ties

The Department of Health and Social Services iscommitted to supporting adoptions in Nunavut thatreect Inuit traditions The primary concern is the childsbest interest In Nunavut, adoptions are governed by the: Aboriginal Custom Adoption Recognition Act

Adoption Act Inter-Country Adoption Act(Hague Convention)

The Director of Adoptions is appointed by the Ministerof Health and Social Services Social Services Workersare appointed as adoption workers by the Director ofAdoptions The Director is responsible for developingand managing the adoption program, and for ensuringthat all legal requirements are met The Directordeals with various federal, provincial and territorialgovernment divisions

Nunavut has a surprisingly high number of adoptions

each year considering the size of our population Thismay be due to the high birthrate in Nunavut and thenumber of young parents

As shown in 2006 Statistics Canada data, Nunavutsaverage birthrate 252 births for every 1,000 people is much higher than the Canadian average birthrate 105 births for every 1,000 people

During 2008- 2009 there were: 176 Aboriginal Custom Adoptions 16 Private/Step Parent Adoptions 2 Departmental Adoptions 0 International Adoptions

Aboriginal Custom Adoption, the preferred adoptionmethod of Nunavummiut, accounted for 90% of alladoptions in 2008-2009

Of 2,290 adoptions in Nunavut since 1999, 2,068 (90%)have been Custom Adoptions that followInuit tradition


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There are four different types of adoption

Aboriginal Custom AdoptionThis is the historical Aboriginal adoption practice

Custom Adoption requires the involvement of a CustomAdoption Commissioner if the adoption is to beregistered The Minister of Health and Social Servicesappoints the commissioners, upon recommendation oftheir Hamlet Council

Currently, there are 39 Custom Adoption Commissionersspread across 25 Nunavut communities They are paid afee of $200 per completed adoption

In Custom Adoptions, the role of the Director ofAdoptions is only to provide training and payment of theCustom Adoption Commissioners The Director does notdecide what the nature of customary practice shouldbe This responsibility rests with each Custom AdoptionCommissioner HSS provides training for CustomAdoption Commissioners

Private/Step-Parent Adoption

Private/Step Parent Adoption occurs after an adoptionplan is created and is made through the Court inaccordance with the Adoption Act, between a childs

birth family and adopting parents

Private/Step-Parent Adoptions involve the adoption ofchildren by any resident of Nunavut or Canada

Departmental Adoption

This is the adoption of children who are in the

permanent care of the Director of Child and FamilyServices

A Departmental Adoption can happen only after the childhas been made a permanent ward of the Director ofChild and Family Services and the rights of the parentshave been removed by order of the court

International Adoption

This is the adoption of a child from another country andis carried out in accordance with the Hague ConventionInternational adoptions are facilitated by agreements

between Canadian jurisdictions and other countries


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Guardianship Services

Nunavuts Guardianship and Trusteeship Act allowsthe Court to appoint a person to have limited decisionmaking authority over a dependent adult after a capacityassessment is completed The terms of the Court Ordervary depending on the needs and abilities of the personwho has been assessed

The person named as the Guardian can be either thePublic Guardian for Nunavut, or a close friend or familymember of the dependent adult The Public Guardian isappointed by and acts under the authority of the Ministerof Health and Social Services

The Guardian can direct where the person who needsassistance will live and with whom he or she mayassociate The Guardian may also make other decisionsfor the dependent person as outlined in the Court Order

Guardianship clients most often reside in a residentialcare facility where their needs can best be met

As of March 31, 2008: 55 adults were receiving services under

Guardianship Orders, a signicant increase over

the previous year 24 additional Guardianship applications

were pending


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Adult Support Services

Adult Support Services is a program that responds tothe needs of people who are severely physically disabledand people who have developmental disabilities Clients/patients with psychiatric disorders who are deemed untto stand trial also fall under this program

The program serves disabled adults and/or familiesrequiring assistance to care for an inrm familymember It provides supports for independent living aswell as various forms of residential care Residentialcare in Nunavut includes adult group homes, long-termcare facilities and elders facilities For those requiringmore extensive care, referrals to hospital wards orsouthern caregivers is common

Adult Support Services assistance ensures that peoplewho are disabled receive appropriate care, includingrequired medical care

As of March 31, 2009: 126 Nunavummiut were receiving Adult Support

Services 30 from Bafn Region, 24 from Iqaluit,38 from Kivalliq and 34 from Kitikmeot

87 of the adults were placed outside of Nunavutbecause their level of need exceeded Nunavutsability to serve them 40 in Alberta, 17 in theNorthwest Territories, 16 in Ontario, 5 in Manitoba,5 in Quebec and 2 in each of Saskatchewan andNova Scotia



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Family Violence Services

The Department of Health and Social Servicesrecognizes that family violence is a major concern inNunavut

Family Violence Services have been developed to protectand support victims of family violence, to lessen thenumber of repeat occurrences of family violence andto reduce the overall incidence of family violence inNunavut

Under the Family Violence Relocation Program, SocialServices Workers assist women and children leavingfamily violence by assessing each familys situation and

helping them to relocate to a place of safety, such as aFamily Violence Centre or Safe Home

Family Violence Shelters and Safe Homes are animportant resource for abused women and their childrenand are an integral part of the Departments services toNunavut families

Currently, HSS funded Family Violence Shelters arelocated in: Bafn Region Iqaluit (21 bed shelter) Kivalliq Region Rankin Inlet (8 bed shelter) Kitikmeot Region Taloyoak (6 bed shelter),

Cambridge Bay (4 bed shelter), Kugluktuk(4 bed shelter)

Safe Homes are located in: Igloolik (3) Pangnirtung (2) Pond Inlet (2) Arviat (2) Cape Dorset (1)

Costs are paid for family violence victims placed inthe Yellowknife womens shelter when required


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2008-09 Annual Report of the Director of Child and Family Services10

Facility Based Residential Care

The Facility Based Residential Care program is designedto provide the necessary specialized care for a client/patient as close to home as possible The programserves Nunavummiut who require care that is notavailable in their home

Facility Based Residential Care is provided in fosterhomes, extended family foster homes, disabled grouphomes for children and adults, elders homes andresidential facilities for medically fragile children andmedically dependent adults

Currently, there are 203 approved foster homes in

Nunavut Daily rates paid to foster parents in Nunavutare the highest in Canada Foster Parent Associationsare in various stages of development in Cambridge Bay,Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet and Baker Lake

There are three residential care facilities specicallydesigned for children in Rankin Inlet, Iqaluit andCambridge Bay There are group homes for adults inRankin Inlet and in Iqaluit, and Elders Homes in Arviat,Iqaluit, and Baker Lake and one in Chestereld Inletserves both children and adults

If the care required is not available in a Nunavut facility,referrals to other jurisdictions will be made Thesewould include residential care for a child who requirestube feedings, intensive physiotherapy, or who is at riskof hurting themselves These high needs children haveto be cared for in out-of-territory residential facilitiesthat can provide services to match their needs Suchfacilities include behavioural treatment group homes,alternative medical care homes and special needs fosterhomes

In all cases, the clients needs are carefully assessed

to ensure that out-of-territory placement is necessaryand that the child or adult will be placed in a residentialfacility with the skills, training and specialized servicesrequired Every effort is made to nd a facility that is asclose to the clients home as possible


Of 375 children receiving services in Nunavut under

the Child and Family Services Actas of March 31,2008: 45 children or youth were in out-of-territory

placements due to medical needs or behaviouralproblems

330 children and youth are placed within Nunavut

Of those placed in Nunavut: 34 are in the parental home 248 are in foster home 9 are in alternate medical care group home 4 are in specialized foster home 4 are in medical institution 16 are in group home

15 are in community supportsOf 45 children placed outside Nunavut: 2 are in foster care in Quebec 1 is in medical care Northwest Territories 29 are in treatment group homes in various

locations 8 are in alternative care medical homes in various

locations 5 are in specialized foster care in Nova Scotia

Currently, 87 adults are placed in out of territoryresidential care: 40 are in Alberta 17 are in Northwest Territories 16 are in Ontario 5 are in Manitoba 5 are in Quebec 2 are in Saskatchewan 2 are in Nova Scotia


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Supported and Transitional Living

Assistance through supported and transitional livingservices can provide an opportunity for vulnerable youthand adults to study, to work and to make a meaningfulcontribution to society, while being protected

Currently the Child and Family Services Actallows fora voluntary agreement to be entered into between theyouth who cannot live at home and the Department ofHealth and Social Services The agreement makes itpossible for HSS to supply services and support untilthe age of majority (19 years) for the youth Financialsupport provided for housing, food, clothing, schoolsupplies etc is based on an assessment of theyouths need

A 2006 Nunavut Court of Justice decision concludedthat Section 6 of the Actdiscriminates against youthbetween the ages of 16 and 18 who require childwelfare services

The Government of Nunavut will be making thenecessary changes to the Child and Family ServicesActto ensure that youth between 16 and 18 have theservices they require to thrive


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2008-09 Annual Report of the Director of Child and Family Services12

Community Corrections

Community Corrections falls under the authority ofthe Department of Justice, which is responsible foradministration of the Young Offenders Act, the YouthCriminal Justice Act, and the Adult Corrections Act

Due to lack of funded Community Corrections positionsin the Department of Justice, social service workersprovide corrections services in 14 communitieson behalf of the Department of Justice This is inaccordance with a long-standing Memorandum ofUnderstanding between the Department of Justice andthe Department of Health and Social Services

Social Services Workers carry out the communitycorrections role in addition to their regular Departmentof Health and Social Services responsibilities

Social Services Workers serve as Probation

Ofcers in: Arctic Bay Chestereld Inlet Clyde River Coral Harbour Grise Fiord Hall Beach Kimmirut Kugaaruk Qikiqtarjuaq Resolute Bay Repulse Bay Sanikiluaq Taloyoak

Whale Cove



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It is recommended that the Department of Healthand Social Services:

1 Review, in consultation with community members,the current state of residential care and developa residential care strategy that provides guidanceand direction on how residential care can bestbe delivered to ensure safety, quality and costeffectiveness, while focusing on Inuit societal values

2 Update the Child and Family Services Actto reectchanges directed by the court to ensure that youthup to 19 years old have access to the services theyrequire to thrive

3 Review of the family violence shelter program toensure that departmentally funded shelter servicesare accountable, of consistent highquality, costeffective, culturally appropriate and responsive to theneeds of clients

4 Develop culturally appropriate options for deliveringbehavioural modication treatment programs inNunavut

5 Implement new recruitment and retention measuresfor social services staff in consultation with the

Department of Human Resources

6 Purchase, install and train staff to use an electroniccase management data and tracking systems forSocial Services

Recommendations for Improving Social Services

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Munarhiliqiyikkut InuuhiriknirmulluDepartment of Health and Social ServicesMinistre de la Sant et des Services sociaux

Department of Health and Social ServicesGovernment of NunavutPO Box 1000, Station 1000Iqaluit, Nunavut X0A 0H0(867) 975-5700

nunavut child and family services: 2008-2009 annual report

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