Integration of services

During the 1990s, criticism mounted about the
lack of a co-ordinated service system for youth
among the ministries responsible for delivering
services to children and youth.

Several attempts were made to correct this lack
of co-ordination and integration of child and
youth services. One public report evolved from
an investigation of Eagle Rock Youth Ranch. A
15-year-old ward of Social Services who resided
at the ranch died in a fire set by two other
young residents.”

The report reinforced the need to integrate
services. It was also necessary to strengthen
safeguards to ensure adequate protection and
fair treatment of children and youth with
special needs. At the time, nine provincial
authorities and eight ministries shared
responsibility and provided services to children,
youth and families.

The report contained 17 recommendations,
including the creation of a single authority
within government. It would have:

..a formal mandate, executive powers and
an adequate resource base to ensure
uniform, integrated and client-centred
provincial approaches to policy setting,
planning and administration of publicly
funded services to children, youths and
their families.

The deputy ministers and assistant deputy
ministers’ committees on social policy agreed
that fragmentation of services for children and

families was a problem. The ombudsman
therefore recommended that this committee
establish a child and youth secretariat consisting
of four assistant deputy ministers (from the
Ministries of Education, Health, Attorney
General and Social Services) and four senior
staff. The secretariat’s mandate was to:

» Monitor cross-ministry projects and
protocols;

« Ensure integrated approaches to policy
development and program planning;

» Ensure the effective operation of IMCCs*#
(inter-ministerial children’s committees);

» Establish meaningful communication links
among the Child and Youth Secretariat,
IMCCs and communities;

« Establish formal links with the ombudsman
office’s child and youth team to monitor
issues of mutual concern and address
recommendations in the report;

« Undertake a comprehensive review of child,
youth and family justice services in B.C.; and

« In consultation with communities,
recommend improvements in provincial
approaches to integration, These
recommendations would be made to
government within two years.

The deputy ministers’ committee on social
policy assumed responsibility for co-ordination
of services at the provincial level in 1990.” A
child and youth secretariat was created. IMCCs,
organized at regional and local levels across the
province, were replaced by 11 regional and 90
local child and youth committees (CYC).

43 Public Services to Children, Youth and Their Families in British Columbia: The Need for Integration, Public Report No. 22,

Ombudsman of B.C., Victoria, B.C., 1990.

44 These committees were responsible for inter-ministry planning and management of “hard to serve” youth

between the ages of 12 and 19.

45 This folowed the Ombudsman’s Public Report No. 22, 1990.

The Era of Risk Management (1990-1997)

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