Doug HughesAs Regional Executive Director of the Interior, I’m pleased to have this opportunity to share with you some of the exciting work currently underway in our region. Over the past 20 years, I’ve worked in a considerable number of MCFD positions which have provided me with a broad understanding of the vast array of work done by our staff and service providers every day. I believe I share with you a passion for social work and social policy, and for providing the best services we can to children and families.
Since I began as a social worker in 1986, my goal at MCFD has always been to influence or impact larger systems changes, as well as improve our approaches and structures for the children and families of BC. As a ministry, and a region, we are committed to building strong connections with community organizations and integrating systems to help children and families get the services they need and want.
Some of the work currently happening in the Interior is important ground work for the years to come. We are working cooperatively with Aboriginal communities to deliver services that are in the spirit of how Aboriginal people would like them to be delivered, as well as involving and engaging them in decisions. Our hope is that Aboriginal communities will govern their own services as well as decide what those services will be. We are also working with our front-line staff to include them in the transformation process. They are the experts in the field, so it’s critical that we learn from them, communicate with them and integrate their thoughts and ideas into the process.
Over the coming months and years, I also want to focus on relationships. We have relationships with each other, with service providers, and with children, youth and their families. Transformation is an opportunity to fortify these relationships and build on our individual strengths as practitioners and leaders to create a learning culture where children, youth and families develop to their maximum capacity.
We are in the best position possible for transformation to take place - we have excellent leadership and support from the highest levels of government. I’m excited about our potential to make positive improvements and provide the best services we can to the public. By fostering what we’re doing well, we will continue to develop a more responsive system. I look forward to working with all of you over the coming years.
Top