The financial practices of child welfare agencies are going under the microscope. An external review of the Child and Family Services’ (CFS) funding model will be launched by the government of Manitoba, according to Nahanni Fontaine, the province’s minister of Families. On Tuesday, Fontaine said the call was made after seeing the preliminary findings of audits into child welfare authorities, the impact of nearly seven years of upfront annual funding for these authorities, as well as concerns raised by Indigenous leadership and agencies. “It’s really important for us, as we are on this path to jurisdiction, to ensure that we have a good line of sight of the fiscal health of the CFS system,” Fontaine said. Nahanni Fontaine said since 2023, the province has given more than $77 million in additional annualized funding across the CFS system. She said the review will be used to help make future financial decisions. “The review will examine the fiscal health and pressures for the CFS system, as well as the financial management practices with the governance structure - which support funding decisions and accountability throughout the system.” An independent third party will be chosen to conduct the review. Fontaine hopes this will be arranged before October, with their findings made public by the end of 2027.
