Guardianship

Surrounded By Cedar has 2 fulltime Indigenous Guardianship Social Workers. The Social Workers provide guardianship duties to support urban Aboriginal children in Continuing Care in the Capital Region by:

• Involving natural parents, extended family, Nation and delegated First Nations, Urban or Metis agencies and MCFD in the transfer of urban Aboriginal children from government to SCCFS and beyond, as appropriate;
• Ensuring that culturally appropriate and specific Plans of Care are developed and implemented for every urban Aboriginal child in continuing care of Surrounded By Cedar
• Ensuring that documentation and file recordings are complete according to Agency policy;
• Liaising with other involved professionals and the child’s Aboriginal community
• Working closely with care home resources to recruit, develop and support child in care placements
• Working with the team to reconnect urban Aboriginal children to their families, communities and cultures as appropriate and within available budget

Guardianship delegation under the Child, Family and Community Services Act (CFCSA) will allow Surrounded by Cedar Child and Family Services to provide the following services at this time:

Guardianship

Guardianship services are provided to urban Aboriginal children who are in the continuing custody of the Director. Under this delegation, agency Social Workers will be responsible to ensure culturally appropriate planning for urban Aboriginal children and youth in our care. Urban Aboriginal Children receiving guardianship services from SCCFS will be informed of their rights as children in care, and will have culturally appropriate and specific Plans of Care developed for them. Our vision is that our urban Aboriginal children will grow up connected to family, community and culture.
Staff at Surrounded by Cedar Child and Family Services must meet or exceed practice standards set out by the Aboriginal Operational Practice Standards and Indicators (AOPSI).

The Child, Family and Community Services Act (CFCSA) will govern agency social workers with delegation from the province.

As of November 2007, we are in financial negotiations with MCFD to develop an adequate funding formula to support the transfer of the first group of 50 Indigenous children and youth in care to our agency.  We are hopeful that this process will be complete in December 2007 and that that the children will begin transferring to our agency in a staged process in January 2008.