When the director makes a decision about protecting a child, everyone in the family is affected. In the past, parents weren’t allowed to help decide about their child’s care.
The director now agrees it’s good to get parents involved to decide how to care for their children. The ministry has a policy called presumption in favour. This policy says when there’s a disagreement about plans for a child’s safety, it’s best for the social worker and parents to use collaborative planning and decision making to work out an agreement for free.
This means you and the social worker talk together to understand your child’s needs. Then you and the social worker can make the best plan together for your child’s safety in a way that suits your family.
If the social worker doesn’t suggest using collaborative planning and decision making, you can ask for it.
Collaborative planning and decision making can help you:
- involve other family and supportive community members to make a plan for your child’s care
- reach an agreement with the social worker about support services your child needs
- decide where your child will live and how to keep your child safe
- choose what services your family needs
- plan for your child to return home
- decide how your family and community will support you and your child
As a parent, you can use options that are part of collaborative planning and decision making to reach agreements with the social worker for your child’s care. The goal is for you to be involved in making decisions about your child’s care. Collaborative options include:
- a family case planning conference
- a family group conference
- traditional decision making for Indigenous families
- mediation
The director strongly supports the collaborative approach. Many parents who used one of the collaborative planning and decision-making options said it was a positive experience. They said the director listened to them.
You can choose to use collaborative planning and decision making at any time for free to make a plan with the social worker for your child’s care. It’s a good idea to have a lawyer to help you.
Family case planning conference
You can ask for a family case planning conference for a fast response to the situation. The conference is usually under 90 minutes. It focuses on immediate concerns, next steps to keep your child safe, and how to move the plan forward for your child’s care.
- You meet with a trained facilitator.
- You can invite your lawyer, family, and support people to attend.
- Everyone who attends gets a copy of the written plan at the end of the conference.
Family group conference
You can ask for a family group conference, sometimes called family group decision making, at any time during the agreement process.
You meet with family members and other people involved in caring for your child. If you don’t have a lawyer and your extended family is available, a family group conference is useful to develop a plan of care. See Work out a plan of care for your child. You can also ask your lawyer, advocate, or friends to take part.
- A family group conference coordinator organizes the conference and may be there.
- You meet in a place where everyone feels comfortable.
- The people you invite talk over concerns about your family and how to deal with them.
- You and your family members who take part in the conference make the decision about how best to care for your child.
- A social worker reviews your decision and discusses it with you.
Traditional decision making for Indigenous families
If you’re an Indigenous parent, you can choose traditional decision making to help develop a plan of care for your child. See Work out a plan of care for your child. The meetings are like family group conferences. Traditional decision making also involves your community.
- Your extended family can come to the meetings. Your community’s leaders may be there.
- You can make decisions based on your cultural traditions and values.
- You can ask to use traditional decision making at any time when you deal with a social worker.
The new federal law, An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families, establishes minimum standards for social workers involved with Indigenous families. The act provides more guidance for the social worker to consider what’s best for Indigenous families in areas such as cultural connection, ties to community, and involvement of the child’s Nation(s) at an earlier stage.
Mediation
Any time you don’t agree with the social worker, or you think more discussion is needed to plan for your family’s needs, you can ask for mediation to help you work things out. A mediator is a specially trained person who doesn’t take sides. The mediator meets with you, the social worker, and anyone else involved in the case who you want at the meeting.
If you have a lawyer and the social worker has a lawyer, the mediator sits with you, the social worker, and both lawyers to develop a plan of care for your child. See Work out a plan of care for your child.
You can ask for mediation at any time, including:
- when you’re trying to work out an agreement, a safety plan, or a plan of care with the social worker
- any time you don’t agree with what the social worker wants, or you want to request an agreement
- after the court hearings have already happened
If you’re an Indigenous parent, you can ask about getting an Indigenous mediator to help with your case.