Social Services Minister June Draude was presented with the Saskatchewan Child Welfare Review Panel's final report, entitled For the Good of Our Children and Youth from Panel Chair Bob Pringle.
"Our government commends the Child Welfare Review Panel for undertaking this comprehensive, difficult and emotional review of the province's child welfare system, and we thank the many stakeholders who provided their honest and thoughtful input into the process," Draude said.
"As a panel, we hope and pray these recommendations will mobilize all of us to work together to create the necessary changes in our child welfare system, for the good of our children, youth and their families," Pringle said. "This is not a time for blame, but a time to move forward toward a more positive future. Our panel has done its best to capture what we clearly heard and to offer a new direction."
"There is nothing more important to Saskatchewan's future than our children," Draude said. "That's why, today, I am proud to announce the creation of a Cabinet Committee on Children and Youth as a first step toward developing a new vision for child welfare through the combined efforts of all child, youth and family-serving ministries in Government. To develop a new vision, we will be engaging our First Nations, M茅tis and community partners to working together on common solutions to common problems."
The committee will be responsible for developing and co-ordinating a Saskatchewan Children and Youth Agenda, as recommended by the panel, focusing on public policy and strategies across government to support children and families.
The Cabinet Committee will be supported by the Deputy Ministers' Committee on Children and Youth, which will consider the findings of the Child Welfare Review Panel with key partners including First Nations, M茅tis, federal and provincial stakeholders. The committee will also develop a longer-term plan for responding to the panel's report, as well as a joint budget submission.The committees will begin their work immediately. The province will issue a detailed plan for responding to the Child Welfare Review Panel's report in the spring of 2011.
The Saskatchewan Child Welfare Review Panel's final report is available on the website at http://saskchildwelfarereview.ca/CWR-panel-report.pdf.
