A Review of MCFD’s Child Welfare Workforce
- |
No Time to Wait – Parts One and Two expose a child welfare workforce in crisis and a Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) struggling to meet its responsibilities. Drawing on extensive surveys, data, and frontline perspectives, these reports reveal that social workers are carrying unmanageable caseloads, lack timely access to supports, and are working in environments that undermine their ability to protect children.
The Representative for Children and Youth is calling for urgent and sustained action to stabilize and strengthen this vital workforce. Children, youth, and those who serve them should not have to wait any longer for the support they deserve.
This is a crisis which causes immense harm to children, youth, families and social workers….This is horrific and unacceptable.
MCFD Social Worker
An overwhelmed Workforce
No Time to Wait Part One was released in the wake of Don’t Look Away and is an initial examination of the Ministry of Children and Family Development’s workforce.
No Time to Wait Part Two is a second more detailed examination of the Ministry of Children and Family Development’s workforce. These two publications are companion reports to RCY’s report Don’t Look Away.
Analysis of the narrative comments from the Representative’s survey and focus groups painted a picture of a workforce overwhelmed with workload demands and by an overwhelming volume of standards and policies that are subject to frequent changes, and a consequent inability to be able to keep up as they should.
of social workers that reported having very high stress levels.
No Time to Wait, 2024
of social workers say they don’t have timely access to necessary family and community supports to help the children and families they are working with.
No Time to Wait, 2024
of social workers working in the child welfare system say they are unable to properly do their jobs because their workloads with the Ministry of Children and Development are too high.
No Time to Wait, 2024
Key Themes
No Time to Wait reveals a child welfare system under severe strain due to chronic understaffing, excessive caseloads, and longstanding inaction. Social workers report being unable to meet basic standards because they lack the time, support, and resources to do their jobs well.
Coordination across services is weak, and confusion over roles and responsibilities, particularly in cases involving Indigenous children, continues to place young people at risk. Training is inconsistent, support for worker wellness is inadequate, and known issues have been ignored for too long. These are not new problems, but they demand immediate and sustained action.
Recommendations at a Glance
Qualifications and Oversight
- Review social worker credentials by March 31, 2026, focusing on relevant courses and prior experience rather than degree type.
- Assess onboarding training by December 31, 2025, evaluating training adequacy, skill development, satisfaction, and case assignments, with recommendations to adapt to workforce and jurisdictional changes.
- Require mandatory registration of MCFD child welfare workers with a professional regulatory body by June 30, 2026, with the regulatory body established or expanded by April 1, 2027; Indigenous agencies retain discretion.
Staffing
Develop and implement workload measurement tools for social workers by April 1, 2026, to determine required staffing levels.
Publicly report required vs. actual staffing annually, starting April 30, 2026.
Secure sufficient annual funding from central agencies to meet staffing needs, with interim funding starting April 1, 2025.
Recruitment and Retention
- Create a child well-being data and accountability plan to track outcomes and address inequities.
- Establish shared indicators, align with Indigenous data governance, and ensure ethical, inclusive data sharing.
- Improve data quality, coordination, and reporting to guide decisions and reflect OCAP principles.
Health and Wellness
- Develop and implement a staff wellness plan by April 1, 2026, offering debriefing, peer support, counselling, and mental health services for child welfare staff.
Measure staff well-being bi-annually through anonymized surveys, starting before March 31, 2026, to track progress.
Training and Professional Development
- Enhance training and support for social workers on Indigenous children and families, including legislative changes and jurisdiction transitions; plan by October 31, 2025.
- Encourage participation in Indigenous ceremonies and cultural events as professional development; policy by April 1, 2025.
- Review and improve in-person training and professional development for child welfare staff; review by October 31, 2025, with implementation afterward.
