Intervention services to receive more resources

Child intervention services received a funding boost in Thursday’s provincial budget, with $826 million allocated toward the system in 2018-19.

“We definitely could always invest more ... but I think this is an incredible step forward,” said Children’s Services Minister Danielle Larivee in an interview, adding the funds will go toward prevention efforts and intervention programs. “We want to do as much as we can in that front-end work.

“Sometimes it’s simply working with the families to help them connect with community resources,” she said. “Obviously we know there are other situations where the children are brought into care.”

The budget marked a $49-million increase in 2018-19 above the target set out last year.

There are more than 10,000 children in care in Alberta and Indigenous families are disproportionately affected — nearly 70 per cent of children in care are Indigenous.

The funding announcement included a two per cent increase, or $1.9 million, for foster and kinship providers, Larivee said, adding that budget line item hasn’t changed since 2014.

“Certainly they don’t do it for the money, but they also do deserve support from our government and some of that is financial to be able to do that work.”

The move comes after the allparty panel tasked with improving Alberta’s child intervention system approved its final draft of recommendations in January. They ranged from updating policies for family assessments to reviewing provincial legislation.

Larivee said Thursday the government expects to have a related action plan ready in June.