2009 Progress Report

This report highlights Manitoba Family Services and Housing’s achievements over three years, 2006 to 2009.

Strengthening Families, Building Communities

Manitoba Family Services and Housing supports citizens in need achieve fuller participation in society, greater self-sufficiency and independence.  The Department helps keep children, families and communities safe and secure, promotes healthy citizen development and well-being.  It is committed to improving Manitobans’ quality of life through furthering the social, economic and labour market inclusion of all citizens, ensuring that diversity is respected, that people feel accepted and valued, and live with dignity and security. The Department works with the community to support Manitoba children, families and individuals achieve their full potential.

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Reducing Poverty

ALL Aboard

In May 2009, the province launched a provincial poverty reduction strategy called ALL Aboard. It is based on an annual investment of more than $744 million, including $212 million in new investments.  Many of the existing Family Services and Housing programs and services included under the ALL Aboard umbrella are already making a difference in the lives of Manitobans.

To increase the success of this initiative, more collaboration and partnerships are needed. ALL Aboard has four pillars:

• safe, affordable housing in supportive communities
• education, jobs and income support
• strong, healthy families
• accessible, co-ordinated services

Rewarding Work

In April 2007, Manitoba introduced Rewarding Work which is a four-year strategy to help people get jobs by encouraging the transition from welfare to work, including:

• Get Ready! – enhances training opportunities
• Get Started! – covers some job-related costs
• Work Incentives & Related Allowances – encourages transitions by increasing income
• Job Seekers Allowance – for single non-disabled adults who are employed or looking for work
• JobConnections – specialized services to help people receiving assistance find work
• Manitoba Works – a subsidy for employers who hire people receiving assistance
• Parent Wellness Initiative – helps single parents overcome barriers to employment
• Rewarding Work Health Plan – extends drug, dental and optical coverage for single parents and persons with disabilities who leave welfare for work
• Rewarding Work Rent Allowance – helps non-disabled adults without children to pay rent after they leave welfare for work
• Stages of Change – assists people with disabilities get ready for work
• Disability Awareness Campaign – encourages employers to hire persons with disabilities
• Volunteer Allowance – helps persons with disabilities on assistance who volunteer
• High School Completion – supports youth on assistance complete high school
• Gilbert Park Going Places – promotes positive, healthy lifestyles for youth
• Recreation Opportunities for Children – helps children with recreation activities
• Communications Technology – provides devices for up to 1,100 adults with impaired speech
• marketAbilities - helps persons with disabilities find work

Rebound

In May 2009, the province launched Rebound, an $11.2 million, two-year retraining and support strategy that will help low income workers return to work faster. Rebound is intended to help up to 1,000 workers, including people who might not be eligible for employment insurance and those on income assistance who want to find a job.  Rebound is supported with funding for two years from the new Canada Skills and Transition Strategy and the Canada-Manitoba Labour Market Agreement. The strategy combines the resources of Family Services and Housing, and Competitiveness, Training and Trade, creating a powerful and efficient service.

Income Support

Since 1999, Manitoba has invested over $72 million annually in improved benefits and services for low income families. Recent improvements include:

• Increasing Income Assistance for Persons with Disabilities
• Increasing shelter rates for non-disabled single adults
• Introducing the Manitoba Child Benefit
• Increasing asset exemptions to let people save modestly without affecting benefits
• Introducing Manitoba Saves! which allows people with a disability to receive up to $500/month from family without affecting benefits, exempts Registered Disability Savings Plans and offers money management education and individual savings plans
• Increasing rates for board and room with care and supervision

Assistance for Seniors

In April 2008, individuals over the age of 55, who are qualified for the 55 PLUS Program, had their quarterly benefits increased by 45 per cent.  

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Increasing Safe, Affordable Housing

Long Term Housing

The provincial Long Term Housing Strategy was unveiled in June 2009. This 10-year plan will build on existing initiatives and includes strategies to:

• sustain existing housing stock and build new, affordable housing
• support community driven initiatives and inner-city revitalization
• provide housing options that include support and services for a variety of target groups 

Social Housing Renewal

In 2009, as part of the continuing investment in social housing, the province is allocating more than $160 million in renewal of housing stock. This is the largest single investment in public housing in Manitoba’s history. 

Shelter Benefits

In November 2008, the province committed $3 million to the Manitoba Shelter Benefit, to help people pay their shelter costs. The program was expanded in January 2009 so more people could benefit from the funding. In July 2009, rates for people who receive income assistance were increased.

Homeless Strategy with a Focus on Mental Health Housing

In May 2009, the province launched a homeless strategy with a focus on mental health housing, which will benefit about 2,000 Manitobans. The strategy will help reduce and prevent homelessness by helping people who have homelessness and mental health issues connect with stable, secure housing and support services. 

Aging in Place Strategy

The Aging in Place Strategy was introduced in 2005 to increase opportunities for elderly people to remain in their communities. As of February 2009, there were 2,909 Supports to Seniors in Group Living units, 382 Supportive Housing units and 163 active specialized supports spaces across the province.

Northern Housing

Improving housing for northern Manitobans is a key provincial priority. In October 2008, Manitoba Housing, in partnership with Manitoba Aboriginal and Northern Affairs, established a Northern Housing Operations (NHO) Branch. It will address housing delivery and management issues, and develop a northern housing strategy.

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Enhancing Services for Persons with Disabilities

Full Citizenship

For the past eight years, Full Citizenship: A Manitoba Provincial Strategy on Disability has guided the province’s approach to disability.  The province has made significant strides in each of the strategy’s four building blocks: access, income support, disability supports and employment for persons with disabilities.

OpeningDOORS

In June 2009, the province renewed its commitment to a long term strategy for Manitobans with disabilities. It will invest $30 million in housing for persons with disabilities, including support for more affordable, accessible housing and accessibility enhancements in government buildings and services. 

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Supporting the Well-Being of Children and Families

Changes for Children

In 2006, Manitoba developed the Changes for Children initiative to enhance child protection services.  A key component of this is the family enhancement/differential response model, which creates a system of early intervention, prevention services and supports for children and families based on an assessment of risk and safety. Manitoba is committed to strengthening the child and family services system with increased recruitment, training and funding. Funding increases from 2007 to 2010 have supported 150 new staff positions. 

Reclaiming Hope

In December 2008, Family Service and Housing, Manitoba Health and Healthy Living, and Manitoba Culture, Heritage, Tourism and Sport together unveiled Reclaiming Hope: Manitoba’s Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy. This strategy provides community-based, culturally relevant programs and resources to prevent youth suicide, enhance access to mental health care and provide hope and opportunity to young people across Manitoba.

Foster Care

In June 2009, the province announced Manitoba Youth Transitional Employment Assistance Mentorship (MYTEAM). This is a four-year, $2.4 million pilot project to begin early in the new year, will offer more support for youth who are leaving foster care. It includes education, employment training and housing to help them adjust to independent living as adults.

In 2006, Manitoba launched a successful foster care recruitment campaign called Join the Circle of Care. After the provincial policy to eliminate hotel placement for children in care was implemented in 2007, no child has been placed in a hotel, except in exceptional circumstances.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

The province has made addressing the issue of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) a priority, leading to a comprehensive strategy to better address: housing, education, training, recreation, crisis services, and mentoring needs of persons with FASD. In 2008, Spectrum Connections was launched to provide support to youth and young adults with FASD as they manage the transition to adulthood. 

Autism Spectrum Disorder

The Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) program provides early and intensive behavioural intervention for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The number of children with ASD receiving services, including ABA, has increased by 160 per cent, from 350 children in 2001 to 911 children in 2007.

Legislation

Manitoba Family Services and Housing has strengthened legislation to improve the safety and security of our children. 

• The Children’s Advocate’s Enhanced Mandate Act
• The Child and Family Services Act
• The Child and Family Services Authorities Act
• Mandatory Reporting of Child Pornography

Tracia’s Trust - Phase Two of Manitoba’s Sexual Exploitation Strategy

In April 2009, Manitoba became the first province to pass legislation that makes it mandatory to report child pornography.  Tracia’s Trust builds on Manitoba’s 2002 Strategy Responding to Children and Youth at Risk of, or Survivors of, Sexual Exploitation.  It co-ordinates and expands the diverse services provided and introduces more awareness and prevention initiatives, while making offenders more accountable. 

Action on Domestic Violence Prevention

In 2009, the province connected with employers to help reduce family violence. The initiative includes a comprehensive training program to help employers and co-workers recognize and respond to the signs of domestic violence within the workplace. The annual Domestic Violence Prevention Month (November), was announced in 2008, with an initial commitment of $100,000 to develop domestic violence awareness training for employers.  

Winnipeg Child Access Agency Expansion

In November 2008, the province committed $90,000 to one of the province’s supervised access programs, the Winnipeg Child Access Agency. The agency enables parents and other family members, who are involved in high conflict custody cases, spend time with children in a safe, non-confrontational environment. 

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Early Learning and Child Care

Family Choices

Family Choices, launched in April 2008, is Manitoba’s second, five-year agenda to maintain and improve early learning and child care. In May 2009, the province committed $11.4 million in new funding to support new child-care sites, revitalize centres, create more spaces, hire more workers and enhance child safety. 

Manitoba is committed to maintaining the second lowest licensed child care fees in Canada.  In 2009, an age-appropriate curriculum framework, supporting play-based early learning, was launched in 70 centres, incorporating workshops and onsite mentors.  In 2008, Manitoba passed the Child Care Safety Charter, the first of its kind in Canada.  It requires all centres to have a code of conduct and comprehensive safety plans.

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Delivering High Quality Services and Strengthening Partnerships

Cross-Departmental Co-ordination

The provincial government’s Cross-Departmental Co-ordination Initiatives (CDCI) Division was established in 2007 to co-ordinate the joint activities of Family Services and Housing, and Manitoba Health and Healthy Living. CDCI works in partnership with the regional health authorities and communities, to improve policy co-ordination, integrate service provision, improve collaboration and co-ordinate strategies in areas such as housing and supports for seniors and individuals with homelessness and mental health issues.

Integrated Programs and Services

Integrated Service Delivery is an initiative to make service delivery more accessible, seamless and responsive. During the 2007/2008 fiscal year, Manitoba made progress towards joint location of additional staff from Community Service Delivery and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA).  Winnipeg Integrated Services is a partnership with the WRHA that has established joint location of ACCESS Centres and Health and Social Services Centres in Winnipeg.