Province Reforming Licensed Residential Services
July 19, 2017
Ontario is releasing a new plan to strengthen residential services — including foster care, group care, custody and respite care — to provide children and youth with safe and healthy places to live, support their growth and help them reach their full potential.
Today, Ontario released Safe and Caring Places for Children and Youth: Ontario’s Blueprint for Building a New System of Licensed Residential Services, a multi-year plan for comprehensive reform to improve the quality of care, enhance the oversight of services and ensure that children and youth have a voice in helping to plan their care.
Short-term actions in the Blueprint include:
Long-term actions in the Blueprint include:
Ontario is also working with First Nations, Métis, Inuit and urban Indigenous partners, through the Ontario Indigenous Children and Youth Strategy, to co-develop Indigenous-specific and culturally appropriate strategies and approaches to better serve their children and youth.
Supporting children and youth and helping them reach their full potential is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.
“We are committing to immediate actions that address the need to provide safe, high-quality services for children currently in care. We are also developing a new system of residential services in Ontario. As we move forward, we will work with partners and stakeholders, and most importantly with youth themselves, so that their voices are at the centre of our decision-making.”
“As panel members, we have contributed our unique experiences, expertise, knowledge and skills towards this Blueprint. We are passionate about #FundamentalChange because we have each experienced life changing challenges within the system made to protect us. We are determined to make sure the system is better for future generations of youth.”
Residential Services Youth Panel
“Providing safe and caring homes to children and youth, when it is necessary, is something that children’s aid societies take very seriously. We are taking immediate and decisive action with our partners and the Ministry of Children and Youth Services to strengthen residential services. We look forward to working together to implement the Blueprint to build a quality system where children and youth are at the centre, feel safe and have their voices heard.”
Media Contacts
Alicia Ali
Minister’s Office
416-212-2278
Tristan Austin
Communications Branch
416-325-5156
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