Case study: Child and family services framework

KPMG in Canada supported a provincial department in developing a Practice Framework to inform all future Child and Family Wellbeing initiatives.

A provincial department recognized that there was a pressing need for a transformative approach to Child and Family Wellbeing. Despite implementing several significant changes over the years – addressing prevention, protection, placement, and foundational enablers – the department faced persistent challenges in fully adopting a prevention and early intervention model.

Implementing a standardized approach in the Child and Family Wellbeing system is essential for guiding policy, promoting consistency across the organization, and ensuring that children and their families have a positive experience within the system.¹

KPMG was brought in to work with the provincial department to develop a comprehensive Practice Framework to guide future initiatives. This framework is not just a document; it represents a commitment to shift from a reactive, crisis-driven model to a proactive, prevention-focused approach.

KPMG’s approach was rooted in community engagement and informed by research. A jurisdictional analysis was conducted to identify leading practices and a variety of groups were engaged to help shape the desired future state for the province. The goal of this collaborative approach ensured that the framework would be relevant and effective for all impacted community participants.

Based on the insights gathered, KPMG developed and finalized the Practice Framework which included defining the vision, guiding principles and practice standards. Additionally, an implementation plan was developed to support the province with coordinating activities for the rollout of the framework.

KPMG’s engagement resulted in the development of a robust Practice Framework that will be infused throughout the province’s Child and Family Wellbeing system. The framework was designed to inform all future initiatives which positions the province to effectively implement its desired prevention and early intervention model.

With reliance on the Practice Framework to guide work with children, youth, and families, the provincial department was able to extract their policy from their procedures, reduce their policy manual from over 1800 pages, to less than 300 pages, and are focusing on providing detailed procedures only as needed. This has allowed the department to move away from a rigid "one-size-fits-all" approach and allows for increased flexibility in the delivery of services and a focus on meeting the unique needs of the child, youth, and/or family. 

For more insights on the benefits of a prevention-based child and family services model and how it could help support your organizational goals, contact a KPMG professional.