What is Child and Family Services?

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What is a CFS Agency?

A child and family services (CFS) agency is the service delivery part of the CFS system. Check out the CFS Authorities and their agencies.

When children or families need the services of an agency, there is a way to help families decide which Authority might meet their needs best. Once a family makes a choice, the Authority assigns an agency to work with them.

The choice is called the Authority Determination Process, or ADP for short.

What is an ADP?

• All families have the right to choose their Authority
• Services should meet clients’ cultural needs
• Services must be reliable and timely
• Children, families and communities belong together
• Decisions will be made in the best interests of the children

How the Authority Determination Process (ADP) works

Children and Youth

1. Youth in care who are making independent living arrangements (through a caseworker at a child and family services agency) can make their own decisions.
2. Youth who are parents or who are receiving expectant parent services from a child and family services agency can make their own decisions.

Terms Used During the Authority Determination Process (ADP)

1. Culturally appropriate Authority – A family’s cultural needs are identified, based on the background of the family. They can choose the culturally appropriate Authority or a different Authority.
2. Authority of service – The Authority the family chooses.  This Authority will assign one of its child and family service agencies to provide services to the family.
3. Service provider – The service provider is the CFS agency that directly provides services to the family.

What is a CFS Authority?

The Child and Family Services Authorities

Four Child and Family Services Authorities manage child and family services throughout Manitoba.

• Metis Child and Family Services Authority – Generally, the Metis Child and Family Services Authority manages child and family services for Metis and Inuit people.
• First Nations of Southern Manitoba Child and Family Services Authority (Southern First Nations Network of Care) – Generally, the Southern First Nations Network of Care manages child and family services for members of, or people who identify with, a southern First Nation.
• First Nations of Northern Manitoba Child and Family Services Authority – Generally, the First Nations of Northern Manitoba Child and Family Services Authority manages child and family services for members of, or people who identify with, a northern First Nation.
• General Child and Family Services Authority – The General Child and Family Services Authority manages child and family services for everyone who is not covered by another CFS Authority.

Each of the Authorities creates and oversees one or more child and family service agencies. The agencies are the places that provide services to children and families.

What is the Child and Family Services Branch?

The Child and Family Services Branch is the government office that monitors and oversees the entire range of child and family services. It provides funding for all the services that are provided by Authorities and agencies (except for services delivered within First Nation reserve communities which are funded by the federal government). The Child and Family Services Branch also provides other services, including post-adoption services, the adoption registry, the Child Abuse Registry and other registries. It also licenses residential care facilities for children and licenses adoption agencies