The Specialized Homes and Support Services Redesign proposed a new model for contracted agencies and staffed resources in B.C. Our goal is to move toward a future state where contracted resources play a distinct role in our network of care by providing:

• Respite Care
• Emergency Care
• Low-Barrier Short-Term Stabilization Care
• Specialized Long-Term Care

These services fit within a network of bed-based and non-bed-based supports. They are intended to contribute to the wellness of the individual children/youth in their care and to the overall functioning of this network. These services are about far more than housing children who cannot live safely at home. They have been designed to provide the interventions needed to keep families together and keep children/youth well and safe.

Our engagement with Indigenous partners, service providers, contract holders, staff, families, interest groups, and community members helped us shape the model for SHSS and ensure that, once implemented, it meets the unique needs of vulnerable children, youth, and families in B.C. The ministry continues to work with partners to reach the future state where services provided in contracted resources are consistently managed and used everywhere in B.C.

What we are engaging on:

The public feedback period closed on March 31, 2022. The ministry continues to engage in more targeted engagement discussion with key partners, including service providers, Indigenous partners, contract holders, and MCFD staff, as we move towards early implementation of SHSS for MCFD contracts.

In addition, we are engaging in conversations with Indigenous partners to explore how this work supports the creation of services that are built with and embody an Indigenous worldview and foster cultural identity. These engagements are designed and developed with Indigenous partners and are closely aligned with supporting Indigenous partners’ vision for child and family services.

If you have questions, email: CRATransformation@gov.bc.ca or contact the Ministry of Children and Family Development by phone at 1-877-387-7027.

February 24, 2021 to March 31, 2022

Overall, engagement respondents were optimistic about the proposed redesign of Specialized Homes and Support Services.

Input received:

• 29 survey responses
• 4 written submissions
• 20 virtual sessions

The feedback collected was grouped into the following themes:

• Consistent and Equitable Access to Service
• Early Intervention and Prevention
• Indigenous Sovereignty
• Ensuring Child, Youth, and Family Wellbeing
• Placement Stability
• Accountability

Feedback gathered over the engagement period has been used by the Ministry to inform the service model and support implementation planning. An engagement summary report will be made available in Winter 2022.