Baby Blue Reunification Homes:
In keeping with Blue Thunderbird Family Care's vision of a continuum of culturally based care for Indigenous children in the care of Manitoba's Child and Family Service Agencies, Blue Thunderbird provides two short-term reunification homes as alternative placements in the Province's emergency placement system.
The homes for this program are located in the City of Winnipeg and, are licensed and operated in accordance with provincial standards. Each home is staffed on a 24/7 basis with two staff, known as aunties and uncles, providing care at all times.
Criteria:
1) Indigenous sibling groups of three referred by a CFS agency to the Province's emergency placement system. This program primarily provides service for sibling groups with children under the age of 12.
2) Blue Thunderbird has a capacity of care to address most needs in the target group noted above. Children and youth with exceptionally challenging behaviour, who present an exceptional safety risk to themselves and others, will need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
3) Referrals to these short-term beds are coordinated and managed through the emergency system coordinator in consultation with Blue Thunderbird staff.
Goals / Outcomes:
1) Provide excellent short-term reunification homes, with comprehensive services for our Indigenous children in the care.
a) Provide 24/7 short-term care with a focus on family reunification;
b) Work closely with placing agencies and provide assessment of the child's strengths and challenges to develop engaging care plans;
c) Provide a culturally safe and nurturing family environment;
d) Maintain or build connections with schools and educational supports to meet the child's social and intellectual needs;
2) Increase the success of family reunification for Indigenous children in short-term/ emergency placement.
a) Initiate early family engagement and facilitate immediate planning with the placing agency to expedite reunification;
b) Facilitate visits and enhance the parent-child relationship;
c) Provide mentoring, advocacy and support to the parents;
d) Provide transition support to the child and the family.
Placement and Transition:
While the length of placement varies according to needs of the children and families, the average length of stay in the Program is approximately four months.
Children invariably return to family in some way after their final discharge from CFS care. If the family has not received service nor been involved in the care of the child during placement, the chance of that return being successful is greatly reduced. Given this and the Indigenous values of holistic care, Blue Thunderbird will always provide opportunity for the child's family to join in the placement process and in the care of their children in order to effect long term changes and success for the family as a whole. As such the aunties and uncles will provide the parents with opportunities to engage in a supportive relationship to help them find their strength to meet the requirements of the care plan and, wherever possible, to achieve reunification.
