Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development (Newfoundland and Labrador)

The Ministry of Children, Seniors and Social Development is a provincial government department in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The department is headed by a member of the provincial cabinet, typically a Member of the House of Assembly, who is chosen by the premier and formally appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development
Agency overview
FormedApril 9, 2009 (2009-04-09)
Preceding agencies
  • Department of Health and Community Services
  • Department of Child, Youth and Family Services
JurisdictionNewfoundland and Labrador
HeadquartersSt. John's
Minister responsible
Websitewww.cssd.gov.nl.ca/

The department's creation was announced in April 2009, by the government of Danny Williams.[1] Before becoming a stand-alone department many aspects of the department were a branch within the Department of Health and Community Services.

Child and Youth Services is responsible for: child protection services, foster care, adoption, kinship, youth services, and youth corrections programs.[2] The department is also responsible for the disability policy office, adult protection, seniors advocacy, and recreation, sport, and healthy living grants.

The department was reconfigured as the Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development in 2016.[3]

In a report released in November 2016, NL Auditor General Terry Paddon said 6,252 children — eight percent of the children in Newfoundland and Labrador — were being served by CSSD (Child and Youth Services) programs.[4]

Background

Up until 1997, the responsibility for child protection services in Newfoundland and Labrador was under the purview of the Department of Social Services (DSS). In 1997, DSS was renamed the Department of Human Resources and Employment (DHRE). On April 1, 1998, the Department of Health and Community Services (DHCS) assumed responsibility for child protection services. The responsibility for child protection services was therefore devolved from the DHRE to a number of Health and Community Services (HCS) Boards. In 2009, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador established the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services (DCYFS).

Ministers

Key:

  Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador
  Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador
No. Portrait Name Term of office Political party Premier
1 Joan Burke April 9, 2009January 13, 2011 Progressive Conservative Danny Williams
Kathy Dunderdale
2 Charlene Johnson January 13, 2011October 9, 2013 Progressive Conservative Kathy Dunderdale
3 Paul Davis October 9, 2013May 1, 2014 Progressive Conservative Kathy Dunderdale
Tom Marshall
4 Clyde Jackman May 1, 2014July 27, 2014 Progressive Conservative Tom Marshall
5 Sandy Collins July 17, 2014December 14, 2015 Progressive Conservative Tom Marshall
Paul Davis
6 Sherry Gambin-Walsh December 14, 2015July 31, 2017 Liberal Dwight Ball
7 Lisa Dempster July 31, 2017August 19, 2020 Liberal Dwight Ball
8 Brian Warr August 19, 2020 Liberal Andrew Furey

See also

References
  1. "Burke moved out of education portfolio in small cabinet shuffle". CBC News. 9 April 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  2. Sweet, Barb (Apr 23, 2019). "Documents didn't deliver details about Newfoundland woman's adoption in 1950s". The Telegram. Retrieved Oct 17, 2020.
  3. McCabe, Meghan (Mar 16, 2017). "'Very slow process': Minister says child protection system improving, despite decades of criticism". CBC News. Retrieved Oct 17, 2020.
  4. Roberts, Terry (Mar 2, 2017). "The numbers tell a sobering story about Labrador's uprooted foster children". CBC News. Retrieved Oct 17, 2020.
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