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Alberta Social Services seems to be continually embroiled in controversy. The lesbian foster mother case has been making front-page headlines. In the meantime, plans to regionalize child welfare have been [...]

There is nothing that elicits more anguish than the death of a child. But politicians have learned to use that emotion as leverage to assert more government control over families, [...]

The last few years have witnessed an explosion of research which suggests that human behaviour is hugely influenced by the first three years of a child's life. The evidence indicates [...]

Reports on a lawsuit filed by Kari Johnson of Aldergrove, British Columbia against Shirley Irwin, the Nisha Family and Children's Services Society, and the provincial government over a sexual relationship Irwin had with the father of Johnson's son. Claims made by Johnson; Testimony from the father, Mark Tisdall that Irwin sought sex in exchange for unauthorized access to his son; The prevalence of improper behavior among child welfare workers.

Looks at child welfare in Alberta in 1997. Attempts at devolution; Groups fighting the increasing involvement of the government, including Parents Against Government Abductions; The debate over privatization of the child welfare system; How privatization of child welfare in the state of Kansas has worked; Efforts by social workers to retain the government in child welfare in Alberta.

Looks at Alberta's child welfare regionalization as of September 1997. Concern over the actuality of the 18 proposed Children and Family Services Authorities (CFSA); Details on the devolution of Alberta child welfare; Why Social Services Minister Lyle Oberg killed a key devolution process.

Looks at the plan to devolve child welfare services to local authorities in Alberta. The example of Ontario's local control of child welfare; Contrasts between the Alberta system and the Ontario system; How the devolution plan will work; The efforts of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) in opposing devolution; Criticism of the AUPE; Outlook.