WINNIPEG — A report from Manitoba's children's advocate says the provincial child-welfare system is failing kids with complex needs.
The report says about 3,000 of 10,000 children in government care are high-needs because of childhood trauma.
It says many of the high-needs children are in government care not because they need protection, but because their families can't manage them on their own.
The report says Child and Family Services doesn't look to the future, but "remains in a chronic state of emergency," focused on keeping kids safe in the short term.
Yet the report points out there aren't enough placements for children with complex needs, which has led to the use of hotels — a practice Manitoba has now banned.
Children's advocate Darlene MacDonald says the province must "reimagine" child welfare, so it responds better to a child's long-term needs.
