Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development

{{Short description|Government Department in Newfoundland and Labrador}}

{{Infobox government agency

|agency_name = Department of Families and Affordability

|type =

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|formed = {{Start date|2009|04|09}}

|preceding1 = Department of Health and Community Services

|preceding2 = Department of Child, Youth and Family Services

|preceding3 = Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development

|jurisdiction = Newfoundland and Labrador

|headquarters = St. John's

|employees =

|minister1_name = Jamie Korab

|website = [https://www.gov.nl.ca/cssd/ www.cssd.gov.nl.ca/]

}}

The Ministry of Families and Affordability is a provincial government department in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The department is headed by a member of the provincial cabinet, typically a Member of the House of Assembly, who is chosen by the premier and formally appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The department's creation was announced in April 2009, by the government of Danny Williams.{{cite news|title=Burke moved out of education portfolio in small cabinet shuffle|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/burke-moved-out-of-education-portfolio-in-small-cabinet-shuffle-1.802692|access-date=6 December 2011|publisher=CBC News|date=9 April 2009}} Before becoming a stand-alone department many aspects of the department were a branch within the Department of Health and Community Services.

Child and Youth Services is responsible for: child protection services, foster care, adoption, kinship, youth services, and youth corrections programs.{{cite web|url=https://www.thetelegram.com/news/local/documents-didnt-deliver-details-about-newfoundland-womans-adoption-in-1950s-304756/|title=Documents didn’t deliver details about Newfoundland woman's adoption in 1950s|publisher=The Telegram|date=Apr 23, 2019 |first=Barb|last=Sweet|accessdate=Oct 17, 2020 }} The department is also responsible for the disability policy office, adult protection, and seniors advocacy.

The department was reconfigured as the Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development in 2016.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/child-protection-nl-improving-decades-criticism-1.4027376|title='Very slow process': Minister says child protection system improving, despite decades of criticism|publisher=CBC News|date=Mar 16, 2017 |first=Meghan|last=McCabe|accessdate=Oct 17, 2020 }}

In a report released in November 2016, NL Auditor General Terry Paddon said 6,252 children — eight percent of the children in Newfoundland and Labrador — were being served by CSSD (Child and Youth Services) programs.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/foster-children-numbers-aboriginal-labrador-1.4004362|title=The numbers tell a sobering story about Labrador's uprooted foster children|publisher=CBC News|date=Mar 2, 2017 |first=Terry|last=Roberts|accessdate=Oct 17, 2020 }}

In 2021, the income support division of Immigration, Skills and Labour was relocated into CSSD.

On May 9, 2025, Jamie Korab was appointed Minister of Families and Affordability.{{cite web |title=Premier John Hogan and new cabinet sworn in at Government House |url=https://www.saltwire.com/newfoundland-labrador/premier-john-hogan-and-new-cabinet-sworn-in-at-government-house |access-date=2025-05-09 |author=Telegram Staff |website=SaltWire}}