Families

1.2.9 Voluntary Care Agreements

Volume 1:

Agency Standards

Chapter 2:

Services to Families

Section 9:

Voluntary Care Agreements

Approved:

2024/10/01

The government of Manitoba recognizes and respects the inherent rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people to care for their children and families. We acknowledge that families, Nations, and our system have wanted tools that support family and community caring for their children.  Legislation in Manitoba now provides for four new types of agreements and these agreements support this approach and practice of working with families, communities to holistically support and care for children.

These agreements include family support, kinship, customary and voluntary care and are designed to give agencies more options to support children and families to enhance and maintain connection to family, community and culture. Through these agreements, agencies are able to implement a practice which recognizes the role of extended family and community, and where parents and guardians keep guardianship and retain an active role in caring for and making decisions regarding the welfare of their children.

Agreements are voluntary and can be used where there are protection concerns, but do not include a court process and are collaborative in working with families. Families who enter into agreements will be involved in the active planning and decision making of their child and are signatories in all agreement types.

The four new agreement standards in the CFS Standards Manual are interim and will expire on October 1, 2025.  During this period, agencies are to collaborate with their Nations and rights holders to develop their own policy, standards and procedures to support the use of agreements.  The spirit and foundation of agreements encourages a shared responsibility and shared accountability between agencies and their Nations. 

Authorities and/or Agencies can submit these documents to the Child and Youth Services Division at any point prior to October 2025.

This section pertains to the use of voluntary care agreements for planning and delivering care to a child.  Voluntary Care Agreement is an agreement between an agency and a parent or guardian. Parents retain guardianship while the child resides in a licensed placement and is in care of the agency.