Fonds paa-6799 - Alberta. Department of Social Development fonds

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Alberta. Department of Social Development fonds

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  • Source of title proper: Title based on <em>Department of Social Development Act,</em> 1969 c. 101

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PAA paa-6799

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0.31 m of textual records

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<em>Dates of founding and/or dissolution:</em>;The Department of Social Development was first founded as the Department of Public Welfare in 1944 by means of the passage and proclamation of <em>The Department of Public Welfare Act</em>, 1944 c. 6. The name of the department was changed in 1969 by means of the <em>Department of Social Development Act</em>. The department was dissolved in 1971 by means of the passage and proclamation of <em>The Department of Health and Social Development Act</em>, 1971 c. 25. <em>Functional responsibility:</em>;The Department of Social Development was responsible for three broad categories of services: child welfare, social services and development, and public assistance. Responsibility for public assistance was shared with the municipal governments. Municipalities were responsible for provision of services to persons resident in the municipality for at least one year. Provincial responsibility for public assistance included the provision of direct relief, including public assistance to indigent transients and residents of unorganized territories, medical and other services to disabled men of working age and aged single men, resettlement of Metis people in agricultural communities, provision of mothers' allowances to widows (as defined by <em>The Widows' Pensions Act</em>), welfare services to veterans, administration of old age and disabled pensions, and financial assistance to municipalities for operation of homes for the aged and infirm. Child welfare included care of the wards of the government, adoption services, and services to parents. Protection services were provided by municipal government through municipal welfare officers. In these areas, the department's regional offices acted in an advisory capacity. In unorganized territories and in municipalities where the local government was unwilling or unable to provide protection services, the department's regional offices took on this responsibility. In the 1960's, the department began a more proactive approach to social services. It initiated a new group of programs aimed at preventing the future need for traditional welfare services, in particular child welfare services. With the passage and proclamation of the <em>Social Development Act</em>, the services provided by the Ministry became more focused on helping Alberta residents attain certain minimum living standards, rather than the payment of pensions and allowances based on age or other personal characteristics. Services to families focused on the prevention of family breakdown. The Minister was responsible for the administration of the following legislation:;<em>The Bureau of Public Welfare Act;The Department of Public Welfare Act;The Department of Social Development Act;The Public Welfare Act;The Child Welfare Act;The Welfare Homes Act;The Homes for Aged or Infirm Act;The Homes for the Aged Act;The Metis Population Betterment Act;The Metis Betterment Act;The Preventive Social Services Act;The Mental Health Act;The Old Age Assistance Act;The Widows' Pensions Act;The Blind Persons Act;The Disabled Persons Act;The Disabled Persons' Pensions Act;The Old Age Pensions Act, Alberta (after 1945);The Old Age Pensions (Supplementary Allowances) Act (after 1945);The Mothers' Allowance Act (after 1945);The Relief Liability Act;The Maternal Welfare Act;The Poliomyelitis Sufferers' Act, section 3;The Public Contributions Act;The Public Welfare Assistance Act;The Children of Unmarried Parents Act;The Domestic Relations Act, part 7;The Juvenile Court Act;The Juvenile Offenders Act;The Improvement Districts Act, sections 43, 44 and 45;The Social Development Act;The Alimony Orders Enforcement Act, part 4;The Preventive Social Services Act</em>;<em>Predecessor and successor bodies:</em>;The predecessor of the department in regards to the provision of direct relief was the Bureau of Relief and Public Welfare. In 1939, the name of the bureau was changed to the Bureau of Public Welfare. In 1944, the functions of the Bureau of Public Welfare were transferred to the new Minister of Public Welfare by means of Order-in-Council 521/44. The successor of the Department of Social Development was the Department of Health and Social Development. <em>Administrative relationships:</em>;The Department of Social Development reported to the Legislative Assembly through the Minister of Public Welfare (1944-1969) and the Minister of Social Development (1969-1971). A number of semi-independent agencies reported to the Legislative Assembly through the Minister. These agencies were the Old Age Pensions Board (1944-1964), the Child Welfare Commission (1944-1971), the Veterans Welfare Commission (1944-1955), the Probation Officers Selection Committee (1944-1949) and the Public Welfare Commission (1966-1971). More information on these agencies may be found in their respective descriptions. <em>Administrative structure:</em>;The structure of the department was based on programs. Each program was administered by a different branch, each reporting to the Deputy Minister. The exception was the Child Welfare Branch, which was under the authority of the Child Welfare Commission. Beginning in the late 1950s, the department created regional offices, through which many of the department's services were delivered. The department's province-19wide network of regional offices was also responsible for the inspection functions of the former Inspection Branch. Municipalities administered certain aspects of welfare services and the province, through the department, contributed a portion of the costs of those services. The department also received, on behalf of the provincial government, transfers from the federal government as reimbursement of a portion of the costs of various pension and allowance programs. In 1961, the department began to implement a complete reorganization of its public assistance programs in order to reflect changes initiated by <em>The Welfare Statutes Amendment Act, 1960</em>. Many of the department's programs were placed under the administration of two branches reflecting the two principal program areas at that time: Public Assistance and Child Welfare. Under these two branches were a number of new divisions. Former programs (and their respective branches) which provided services to single homeless men, assistance to indigent transients and residents of unorganized areas, and mothers' allowances were merged into the new Social Assistance Program. The former provincial Mothers' Allowance, Widows' Pensions, Disabled Persons' Pensions and Supplementary Allowance programs were replaced by the Social Allowance program, administered by the Social Allowance Division. The Child Welfare Branch, which had formerly been under the Child Welfare Commission, was placed directly under the Welfare Director. The Commission continued to report to the Minister of Public Welfare. In 1970, all responsibilities for the probation and care of delinquent children were transferred to the department from the Department of the Attorney General. The administrative structure of the department was based on program areas. The following branches and divisions were responsible for the various functions of the department:<ol><li>Direct relief to indigent transients and residents of unorganized territories: Public Welfare Branch (sometimes referred to as Relief Branch) (1944-1949), Public Welfare Assistance Branch (1949-1961), Social Assistance Division (1961-1967), Social Allowance and Social Assistance Division (1967-1969), Social Allowance Division (1969-1971).<li>Medical and residential services to aged single men who were not resident in organized areas: Single Men's Branch (1944-1961), Social Assistance Division (1961-1963), Single Men's Branch (1963-1971).<li> Resettlement of Metis population and administration of <em>The Metis Betterment Act</em>: Rehabilitation Branch (1944-1954), Metis Rehabilitation Branch (1954-1963), Metis Areas Branch (1963-1971).<li>Mothers' allowances and medical services to women with dependants: Mothers' Allowance Branch (1944-1961), Social Allowance Branch (1961-1967), Social Allowance and Social Assistance Division (1967-1969), Social Allowance Division (1969-1971).<li> Child welfare, including children in provincial care, adoption, foster parents, juvenile delinquents: Child Welfare Branch (1944-1971).<li>Investigation of applications for adoption and foster care providers: Home Investigating Committee (1944-1961) and Child Welfare Commission (1961-1971).<li>Welfare services to veterans and families of active servicemen, including land settlement and housing programs in conjunction with federal programs: Veteran's Welfare and Advisory Commission (1944-1955).<li>Administration of old age, disabled and senior widows' pensions and the provincial pension supplement: Old Age Pensions Board/Pensions Board (1944-1964), Social Allowances Division (provincial disabled pensions only) (1961-1967), Social Allowance and Social Assistance Division (1967-1969), Social Allowance Division (1969-1971) and Pensions Division (provincial non-disabled pensions only)(1961-1971).<li>Assistance to municipalities for provision of homes for the aged and infirm: Public Welfare Branch (sometimes referred to as Relief Branch) (1944-1949), Public Welfare Assistance Branch (1949-1962), Welfare Homes and Institutions Branch (1963-1971).<li>Inspection of households receiving assistance under any program administered by the department: Inspection Branch (1945-1958), Regional Offices (1958-1971).<li>Occupational rehabilitation and placement services, including coordination of inter-departmental programs and services: Rehabilitation Branch (1944-1954), Public Welfare Assistance Branch (1949-1954), Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons Branch (1954-1961), Rehabilitation Division (1961-1964), Social All

Custodial history

Scope and content

The fonds consists of records created by the Department in performing the mandated activities of providing public relief, administering various pension and grant programs, and conducting civil defence support activities. The records have been arranged into two series:;1. Public welfare cheques from ca. 1955 to ca. 1961 ;2. Emergency civil defence administrative and operational records from 1950 to 1965.

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Records acquired through scheduled transfer from the Department of Public Welfare

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  • The material is in English.

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Subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act;Subject to the Copyright Act

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Further accruals are not expected

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For a more detailed description or to see series descriptions, please go to the Provincial Archives of Alberta online finding aid.<br><br>

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