University of Calgary. RSS. Facebook. Twitter. Jump to Headline. Jump to Navigation. Jump to Content. UofC Navigation. Home. Prospective Students. Current Students. Alumni. Community. Faculty & Staff. Search UofC:. IT. HR. My U of C. Contacts. UToday. Navigation. Main menu. Home. About UToday. Contact UToday. Events. Subscribe. Receive UToday in your inbox:. UToday Breaking News. E-mail. *. In This Issue. New child welfare program brings needed attention to child protection. Schulich students and faculty get pied for Pi week. What does it mean to 'be a man'?. Return to UToday issue.... UToday Archives. April. April. April. April. April. View other UToday issues.... New child welfare program brings needed attention to child protection. Share on twitter. Share on facebook. Share on google_plusone_share. Share on pinterest_share. More Sharing Services. Cohort in Faculty of Social Work is part of provincial government’s response to strengthen the child welfare system. By Danielle Fink. April. Twenty-five Ministry of Human Services social work employees head 
back to the classroom to earn an MSW with a focus on child welfare, 
through a partnership between the ministry and the Faculty of Social 
Work.. Child protection is a sensitive and complicated subject, but one that the. Faculty of Social Work. and Alberta's. Ministry of Human Services. are addressing. Their long-standing partnership has provided the means 
and grounds for the faculty to begin a Master of Social Work (MSW) 
cohort focusing on child welfare practice. It is a vital step that is 
reinforcing frontline workers’ skills and their ability to achieve 
positive results for vulnerable children.. “This is long overdue,” says Jackie Sieppert, dean of the Faculty of 
Social Work, “but I don’t think our systems were ready for it until now.
 [Child welfare] work is probably the most complex work we hand any 
professionals in our society.”. The one-time cohort is offered to Ministry of Human Services’ employees. It became a possibility as a result of. additional funding. that the faculty received from the provincial government starting last 
fiscal year. The cohort of child welfare professionals will take 
classes over the span of two years, and participate in hours of 
field practicum.. Initial block week course focused on issues of diversity. The cohort kicked off last month with a block week course taught by Social Work’s. Anne-Marie McLaughlin. and. Betty Bastien. “Diversity, oppression and social justice” takes a critical look at the
 issues of diversity in Canadian society, with specific attention paid 
to indigenous peoples and child welfare practice.. “A strong focus was on the cause and effects of intergenerational 
trauma including colonization, cultural genocide, and the long-lasting 
impact of the residential school experience,” says McLaughlin.. She adds, “It was a privilege for me to have the opportunity to teach
 and learn from this group of professionals. Many had more than five to 
 years of front-line and supervisory experience.”. Child welfare is not confined to one particular group of people. It 
is an issue that spreads into all corners of human society. Kansus 
Connellan, a student in the program, has worked in child welfare for 
nearly years in rural northern Alberta.. “I have seen our system fail all too often, and feel very strongly 
that [we] need to accept that change is the only solution,” says 
Connellan. “We have to embrace the need to think outside the box, make 
ourselves vulnerable and go for it with all of our collective energy.”. Cohort is first of its kind. This cohort is the first of its kind, and is expected to greatly contribute to child protection initiatives in Alberta.. “While only one week into the program, I have already experienced a 
shift in my thinking and practice, and hope to continue this journey,” 
Connellan says.. Judy Delorme is a fellow student in the program and provides support 
and training for Alberta First Nations in her role at Human Services. 
“Children are our most vulnerable members of society and they are the 
root of a healthy thriving society and culture. Even after just one week
 in the program, I am more knowledgeable and passionate about being a 
change agent in my work and world.”. The cohort's next course is scheduled for the spring term.. Follow UToday on. Twitter. or via. RSS Feed. Check the. UToday website. for news about events, people and trends at University of Calgary.. Follow what’s happening on campus using our interactive. events calendar. Trending Today. Today's:. World record bighorn sheep captured researcher's heart. Education alumnus works and travels around the world…and back again. Researchers ramp up diabetes study on benefits of strength training. Related Links. April. Social work student helps create community gay-straight alliance. March. Social work prof sheds new light on helping the homeless. March. Interactive theatre event explores Canada's mental health system. March. United Nations fellowship works to rebuild Afghanistan's civil service. January. Student/faculty research team targets stigma of mental illness. Pages. ». Scroll to top. University of Calgary. University Dr. NW. Calgary, Alberta, Canada. T2N 1N4. Copyright. Privacy Policy. About the University. At a Glance. Identity & Standards. Campus Maps. Hotel Alma. Careers at the University. Events at the University. Academics. Departments & Programs. Undergraduate Studies. Graduate Studies. International Studies. Continuing Studies. Libraries at the University. Campus Life. Go Dinos!. Residence. Active Living. Bookstore. Graduate Students' Association. Students' Union. Media & Publications. News. Media Centre. U Today. U This Week. U Magazine. University Calendar.