COVID-19 Updates: Taking steps to return to normal.
- Public health restrictions: Alberta entered Step 2 on March 1.
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COVID-19 Updates: Taking steps to return to normal.
Know what happens when someone reports a concern about your child’s well-being and safety.
Call 911 if you or the person you are reporting is in immediate danger.
Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-387-5437 (KIDS) to get help if you, or children you know, are being neglected, abused or sexually exploited. If you believe a child is at risk, you must report it. Help is available in multiple languages 24/7.
Child abuse, neglect and exploitation have many different warning signs. Learn to recognize them.
Child Intervention assesses every call or referral we receive about your child’s well-being or safety. We respond to each concern to determine if they may need intervention. This happens in 2 parts.
We quickly assess if the concern meets the legal definitions of abuse or neglect described in the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act(CYFEA).
If so, a caseworker will gather as much information as possible to help us understand your child, your family and what supports are needed. This may include talking with:
We use all the information we gather to help decide if the intake can be:
Caseworkers will spend time working with you and gathering more information to determine if your child or youth is safe, and what supports you need. This may include talking with:
The safety assessment can take 40 or more days, unless the concern is urgent. This allows a caseworker to:
We use this information to decide what to do next. There are 2 options. Your file can be:
Know your rights. Find out about parental and child rights with child intervention services.
After we have gathered information and talked with you and your family, we may decide that your child is safe. We will close the file and end our involvement with your family.
Your caseworkers may help you connect with other services to support you, if needed. Some examples include:
After we have gathered information and talked with you and your family, we may decide that you require additional support to keep your child safe and home. This is called legal status. Your caseworkers may:
There are 2 ways for us to stay involved with your family:
The Supervision Order:
When the Supervision Order ends, we may:
Our top priority is to keep families together whenever safely possible. Sometimes we may decide that it is best for the child to be outside of your home while we work with you to address concerns. When this happens, we may place them in care.
While your child is in care, we work with you and your supports to address concerns and get them home as soon as possible.
We will also develop a plan for your child. This happens with input from them, you and your family, and other people who are important to them. The plan makes sure your child is supported by:
If your child is in immediate danger, they may be placed in emergency care for up to 10 days. This may happen when a parent or guardian:
Emergency caregivers can be people already known to the child such as neighbours, relatives or other people with a relationship with your child. Depending on the situation, your child may be returned to you, or placed in temporary or permanent care following emergency care.
This is when we take your child into care on a short-term, temporary basis while we help you address concerns.
Taking a child into temporary care must be supported by the courts. Your caseworker has 2 legal options:
If your child has been in emergency or temporary care for a period of time and the safety concerns still exist, they may be placed in permanent care.
This is usually done through a Permanent Guardianship Order. We can apply to the courts for this order if you do not support your child being placed in permanent care. When it is granted, the court states:
We work with you, your support network and community agencies to support your family and find the right permanent care option for your child’s needs. Our focus is always on providing the right supports for child’s safety and well-being.
The following placement options are available for your child, depending on your situation:
This is when your child stays with extended family, a close family friend or someone else with a strong connection to your child. We try to place children with kinship caregivers whenever safely possible. They must be approved by Children’s Services and will:
Find out more about kinship care and how to become a kinship caregiver.
When there are no friends or family members who can safely care for your child, we ask well-trained foster families to provide a safe home. Foster caregivers are carefully screened. They will:
Find out about foster care and how to become a foster caregiver.
Together, we may decide to place your child in community-based group care when foster or kinship care cannot meet their unique needs. Group care is provided in a homelike setting in a house or facility that is licensed and accredited by Children’s Services. Qualified caregivers are available around the clock. They support your child by:
Every child is unique, and some have complex needs. Working with you, health professionals and others, we may consider placing your child in specialized care if a foster or kinship caregiver cannot manage their complex needs. This may include temporarily placing your child with a specialized facility or caregiver. We work as a team with our government partners to help you, your family and other caregivers with skills and aftercare programs to support your child when they return home.
When kinship, foster or group care cannot meet your child’s unique needs, we may place them in a treatment facility. Highly-trained staff provide specialized 24-hour care to help your child with complex emotional, behavioural or trauma-related challenges that affect daily living. Through teamwork and our support, you and your family will also learn ways to heal and care for your child when they return home.
If your child is 16 years or older, we will sometimes support them to live alone or with an adult roommate while they develop independence. This support may include:
During their time in care, your child will receive a variety of services, supports, supervision and guidance based on their age and unique needs. This may include:
Children and youth in care may also receive advocacy support and legal representation through the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate.
Most children are able to leave care and return to their family. When this is not possible, children still have a right to be a legal part of a family. We work to find an alternative legal connection that provides the child with lifelong safety and well-being, while keeping them connected to their culture, parents and other significant people in their lives.
This may happen through adoption or private guardianship where:
We offer social, emotional and financial supports for young people who have been involved with child intervention and are now past the age of 18. These include:
See more about child intervention and get information through fact sheets and other resources.
Connect with the Child Abuse Hotline:
Hours: 24/7 all year
Toll free: 1-800-387-5437 (KIDS)
To get assistance in your area during business hours:
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