With more than 30 years of experience in child welfare, Darlene MacDonald is a skilled and steady leader known for her professional, fair, and collaborative approach to improving the lives of children, youth, and families. Her depth of knowledge of the child welfare system stretches from frontline work, through increasing levels of management responsibility, and to her current role as Manitoba’s Children’s Advocate, a position she has held since 2011. Darlene has not only dedicated her career to improving outcomes for families, but she also continually strives to create healthy work environments for her staff members and values innovative solutions in both service delivery and staff support.
Respected by colleagues across the country, Darlene has held leadership positions at the national level including serving as president and then board member of the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW), president of the International Federation of Social Workers – North American division (IFSW), as a board member of the Child Welfare League of Canada (CWLC), as a member of the Canadian Council of Child and Youth Advocates (CCCYA), and of the Manitoba Institute of Registered Social Workers (MIRSW) and its successor, the Manitoba College of Social Workers.