New agreement to help Alberta kids in care

CALGARY – Officials hope a new agreement signed on Friday will help make it easier to move children who are in the care of the province into the homes of family or friends.

Services Minister Manmeet Bhullar and Calgary Police Chief Rick Hanson signed the agreement, which will increase the speed at which criminal background checks of prospective kinship care providers are completed.

“My priority is to ensure children and youth in care are given every opportunity to be placed in homes with their extended family or close family friends first, at the time of crisis, not weeks later,” says Bhullar.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "My priority is to ensure children and youth in care are given every opportunity to be placed in homes with their extended family or close family friends first, at the time of crisis, not weeks later," says Bhullar.

As of December 2013, there were more than 1,700 children in kinship homes with family or extended friends caring for them, representing 23 per cent of children in-care in the province.

The agreement also allows child care workers to work more closely with the Calgary Police Service to gather additional information if they feel there is a situation where safety may be an issue.

“This agreement is the first of its kind in Alberta and highlights how by working together we can all play a part in improving the system,” adds Bhullar.