Day 2 – Residential Redesign Working Sessions Results and World Café Process

Small group & Dotmocracy results - Permanency mindset Attachment focus (8+6*) ◦ Build connections between homes (e.g. bridging between foster and birth families; FP as key resource for birth family) ◦ Preserve attachment in multiple relationships & prevent cumulative loss (can never have too many people that love you) ◦ Hold foster homes open to provide respite or transition for birth family ◦ Relationship permanency for older youth can also come from key workers Create a permanency plan with the end in mind (5+7*) ◦ Full and open discussion ◦ Identify, engage and include kin early on as part of the plan ◦ Give foster parents authority to initiate plan

Assessment and planning More Roots, Family Finders, FCPC, FGC in early planning (7+4*) Family and youth identified as major contributors to decision-making (4) Team based planning at regular intervals (mandatory within 30 days of start) (3)

Placement planning and matching: Ensure resource teams know their caregivers well and can identify potential matches/more options (2) ◦ Develop a placement matching online site by community/region where caregivers post information about self, home, skills, characteristics (7+1*)

Expediting return home or to an alternative permanent arrangement Use family group decision making before child comes into care, during CP investigation to prevent child coming into care and involve family at all important decision points (2+3*) Work through and resolve conflicts instead of moving (6+3*)

Diverse array of permanency options Family finders when child first comes into care, to create their support network and possible options for permanence (3+9*)

Preparation for transitions Planning for transition must happen sooner rather than later (5+9*)

Recruitment Targeted recruitment: ◦ Tap into underutilized gay community that is currently stigmatized by MCFD and birth parents (3+1*)  address through education/information/awareness  specific recruitment and support ◦ Gay and lesbian adoptive homes are waiting for placements ◦ Single people, Immigrant families, Elderly ◦ Aboriginal (1*) ◦ Connect with groups of people who want to help - idealism, faith groups, PAC’s, Rotary, service clubs, etc ◦ Look for people who are emotionally stable and open to training

Education and training: Education and training: Reframing education offered to FP as a ‘gift’, job benefit and support (6) Focus: ◦ Pre-service training is necessary and should be mandatory before placements (no exceptions) (7) ◦ 53 hours updated and relevant with specialized streams ◦ Ongoing support which is also training (mandatory) (5+2*) ◦ Resource workers also take 53 hours (2) ◦ Offer training on emerging issues and new information

Support: Acknowledge compassion fatigue – regularly check in, re-energize, normalize (8+2*) Provide access to counseling for caregivers/family members (6+1*) ◦ EAP style – private ◦ Resource enhancement worker (familiar to caregiver due to other roles) Revamp the protocol process (we lose too many FPs during and after the process) (1+3*) Once process is enhanced, develop clear, short pamphlet to inform

Compensation, contracting, levels classification Consistent contracting (4+2*) ◦ Using ‘bed specific’ and ‘child specific’ contacts appropriately ◦ Long-term contracts i.e., year-long contracts; 60- day notice; bed-specific used for cost savings ◦ FP can count on the contract not being altered ◦ Not re-tendering contracts FP Training (4+2*) ◦ Checks and balances for ongoing learning ◦ Support for childcare/relief costs ◦ Assistance paying the training costs Increased availability of training

Valuing, respecting, including Invite them; consult with them; include them; ask what supports they need on a frequent basis (7+2*) Share information – more pre-placement information; all information that is pertinent to care of the child/youth (3) Stop treating FPs like they are clients ((2+2*) Focus supports from MCFD early on before crisis happens (3); provide support when FP asks for help Provide support to every home with clinical advisor (hub and spoke) (3*) Get feedback from FP for SW annual performance review (6+1*) Recognize therapeutic fostering (4+1*)

Reducing placement disruption First placement is the last placement (7+3*)

Our approach now Some tasks require significant work in working tables, etc (e.g. levels and education) Some are self-evident and can be incorporated into report and recommendations Some require more development

World café topics – achieving permanency Improve planning processes Successfully identify, engage and include extended family members Successfully work through conflicts Prepare youth for successful transitions to adulthood Improve transitions between placements/home/alternative family arrangements

World café topics - foster caregiving Enhance targeted recruitment efforts Enhance emotional and relational supports for foster caregivers (address compassion fatigue) Improve the level of respectful engagement and inclusion of foster caregivers Implement therapeutic fostering options First (second) placement is the last placement

Address What gets in the way of us doing this now? What would it take to achieve this? (keep doing, stop doing, start doing) How will we know that we have been successful?

World café etiquette