Human Services signs on with Australian approach

Alberta signed a Memorandum of Understanding via videoconference with Child Protection for Western Australia to formalize a partnership to exchange knowledge, research collaboration and a potential caseworker job exchange. Australia has been leading the implementation of the Signs of Safety model. It focuses on tools to help workers determine a family’s strengths and resources to reduce the risk to the child and to create a safer healthier environment. Currently, five Delegated First Nations Agencies and all Child and Family Services regions are using Signs of Safety. The approach, used in over 200 jurisdictions in 13 countries, empowers families and holds them accountable for identifying approaches that will keep children safe. Improving the child intervention practice is a key component of Human Services Minister Manmeet S. Bhullar’s five-point plan announced in January. “Signs of Safety is changing our child intervention practice. It gives our workers tools to help determine what is good and safe in a family instead of what it is wrong and taking a child into care as a result,” said Bhullar.