Children's Services needs people with project management skills, auditor general says
Merwan Saher comments on findings of report on Indigenous children in care
Alberta Children's Services needs more people skilled in project management to improve the outcomes for Indigenous children in care, Alberta's auditor general says
Merwan Saher told MLAs on the public accounts committee Tuesday that the former Human Services department, split last week into two ministries, had plenty of social workers but not enough people to interpret data and use it to develop programs for Indigenous children.
"The skill in the department is those who are trained in social work," Saher said. "The skill set that I believe is necessary to make the difference here is what I might call project management skill."
In a cabinet shuffle last week, Premier Rachel Notley split the Human Services department into two ministries. The province now has a department of Children's Services and a separate department of Community and Social Services.
Last summer, Saher's office released a scathing audit on the services provided to Indigenous children in government care.
The report found the Human Services department didn't track results for Indigenous children separately from non-Indigenous children, even though they make up 69 per cent of children in care.
Therefore, auditors found the department didn't know if outcomes were less favourable for Indigenous kids. It also wasn't setting targets for improving outcomes for these children.
While the government gathers data on children, the report said Human Services lacked the capacity to analyze or use any of it to improve programs.
Indigenous children didn't see their caseworkers as often as non-Indigenous children and didn't have their care plans reviewed as often.
Children's services are delivered by the province and designated First Nations providers. The federal government funds on-reserve services. The province chips in some money, but hasn't determined whether the amount is sufficient to make a difference, the report found.
System's complexity not an excuse
On Tuesday, Saher said the new Children's Services department could implement his recommendations.
He said the system's complexity shouldn't be used as an excuse for avoiding action.
"At times when we talk to each other we often say that the alleged complexity often becomes a convenient way of not rolling up one's sleeves and dealing with a simple proposition that there is a child that has been identified as needing service," he said.
Saher urged MLAs to ask about the skill issue if they choose to call officials from Children's Services to appear before the public accounts committee.