What social workers can do

To assess or investigate a report, the social worker may first phone you or visit you at home. During an assessment or investigation, they can do certain things, such as:

• They can talk to you about your family and your child’s safety.
• They can talk to your child alone (without you). Sometimes, the social worker talks to your child at school or somewhere else outside of your home without telling you.
• They can talk to people who know your child. These could be teachers, counsellors, relatives, family members, childcare workers, doctors, neighbours, police, friends, or religious leaders.
• They can look at any paperwork, such as medical records, school reports, and court documents, for information about your child.
• They can come to your home at any time and ask to see your child. If you don’t let them see your child, they may decide to remove your child if they think your child isn’t safe in your home. For this reason, it’s best to work things out with the social worker if you can. If you’re worried about your child talking to the social worker alone, you could ask if someone you trust can be there during the interview.
• They can remove your child from your home without warning, if they think your child needs protection. They don’t need a court order before they remove your child.
• They can place your child in a relative’s care, such as with an aunt, uncle, grandparent, or a community member or family friend.
• They can get court orders to make sure your child is safe and healthy.
• They can work with guardianship social workers to place your child for adoption.

Social workers can offer the following services:

• support services for the whole family
• help with preparing voluntary care agreements to avoid removing your child from your care
• help with writing, monitoring, and reviewing your child’s plan of care
• help with writing special needs agreements for your child if your child has special needs
• monitor how your child is doing if they’re in foster care
• help for youth moving toward independence

At all times, social workers need to keep these things in mind:

• The child’s safety always comes first.
• The best place for children is usually with their families.
• Indigenous children should stay in their communities, if possible.
• Indigenous children should have the opportunity to learn about and practise their Indigenous traditions, cultures, and languages.
• The child’s opinion should be considered when deciding what should happen.
• If support services are going to help parents care for their child, the social worker should help get these services for the parents. Examples are home support, counselling, and parenting classes.
• Decisions about the child’s care and safety should be made as quickly as possible.
• The social worker must investigate any complaint in the least disruptive way possible to the child’s family.

Social workers are supposed to be guided by the principle that keeping families together is a good thing. They aren’t supposed to remove a child unless the child’s health or safety is in immediate danger and this is the best way to protect them.

The law says if a social worker believes your child has been physically or sexually abused, they must tell the police.

If a social worker contacts you or visits your home to ask questions about your Indigenous child, they may be working for a delegated Aboriginal agency. Delegated Aboriginal agencies have an agreement with the ministry to provide certain child protection services to Indigenous communities. Some delegated Aboriginal agencies have the same powers as ministry offices. Some provide only limited services to families.

Like the ministry or social workers, some delegated Aboriginal agencies have certain powers. They can:

• get and investigate reports of child abuse and neglect
• remove your child from your home
• place your child in a relative’s care, such as with an aunt, uncle, grandparent, or a community member or family friend
• get court orders to make sure your child is safe and healthy
• work with guardianship social workers to place a child for adoption

Like the ministry or social workers, delegated Aboriginal agencies may offer the following services:

• support services for the whole family
• help with preparing voluntary care agreements to avoid removing your child from your care
• help with writing, monitoring, and reviewing your child’s plan of care
• help with writing special needs agreements for your child if your child has special needs
• monitor how your child is doing if they’re in foster care
• help for youth moving toward independence

Delegated Aboriginal agencies work with families who live on reserve and off reserve across BC.

• If you live on reserve, your band may already be involved with a delegated Aboriginal agency.
• If you live off reserve, your local city or town’s Indigenous organization may also have a delegated Aboriginal agency.

See the BC Government website for how to find and contact a delegated Aboriginal agency.

If the ministry or social worker is investigating you and a delegated Aboriginal agency represents your band or community, you can ask the ministry or social worker to tell the delegated Aboriginal agency. The delegated Aboriginal agency may be able to give culturally appropriate help. For example, some delegated Aboriginal agencies get your entire family involved in your child’s care, and some have Indigenous mediators.