$424,000 is being spent on a new pilot project at Winnipeg’s Child Protection Centre (CPC) that will increase the number of medical and specialized assessments for kids that have entered or are at risk of entering care of Child and Family Services (CFS).
“This pilot creates better outcomes for children and families through more timely and comprehensive assessments that will lead to early intervention and speed up referral to services and supports within days, rather than months,” said Families Minister Scott Fielding.
The CPC, located at Health Sciences Centre is expected to provide more than 2,000 medical assessments a year. The assessments help social workers develop long-term care plans in order to provide the appropriate services and supports for children in care.
“By expanding the resources in the Child Protection Centre, we can offer a daily clinic, eliminating wait times and moving medical and psychological assessments from an emergency room or urgent care centre into a more coordinated, centralized, single-entry point for children and families in need,” said Dr. Terry Klassen, medical director of the child health program, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.
Klassen says that improvements to the child-focused approach will assign a specialist to each case and will improve continuity by coordinating appointments and assessment needs. It will also provide a single point of contact for gathering information and communication with agencies to improve a child’s safety and quality of care.
