Ministerial Mandate Letter - Social Development and Seniors

Dear Premier Lantz,

Thank you for your March 3, 2026, mandate letter. As Minister responsible for Social Development and Seniors (SDS) and the Interministerial Women’s Secretariat (IWS), I am pleased to provide this response. 

SDS is the province’s lead department for social policy and service delivery for individuals and families facing vulnerability, with a strong focus on seniors’ well‑being. We deliver child and family services and child protection, ensuring children are safe, supported, and connected to family and community. We work to stabilize households through income, disability, and essential‑needs supports. We work with community partners to help seniors age in place, and we work to strengthen community resilience by partnering with municipalities, Indigenous communities, and the non‑profit sector to advance food security, social connection, and equitable access. 

IWS is government’s centre of expertise on gender equity and inclusion, leading Gender and Diversity Analysis across departments to ensure policies and programs reflect Islanders’ diverse experiences and support fair, inclusive outcomes. IWS also leads gender‑based violence prevention efforts across government and coordinates actions to prevent family and sexual violence. This work is supported through partnerships and funding for women‑ and equity‑serving organizations, along with clear equity measures and transparent public reporting.

Specific Actions for the Next 12–18 Months

• Working with the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate, amend The Child, Youth and Family Services Act to clarify mandatory reporting.
• In collaboration with the PEI Association of Social Workers and government partners, deliver a recruitment and retention strategy for social workers.
• Release and implement Accessibility Supports and Residential Services Review recommendations.     
• Release a five‑year Seniors Action Plan and establish an Office of Seniors.
• Enhance the Seniors Independence Initiative by updating policy to simplify eligibility and required documentation.
• Convene cross‑government engagement on intimate partner violence to capture PEI‑specific context and gaps that help translate findings into coordinated actions for prevention, risk/safety planning, and reliable access to supports.
• Partner with colleagues in Justice and Public Safety and Education and Early Years to implement the Cyberviolence Prevention Strategy.
• Release a Poverty Elimination Strategy that sets out concrete actions to advance meaningful progress toward eliminating poverty.
• Continue to roll out adoption of Children’s Rights Impact Assessments (CRIA) across government departments.

Taken together, these actions are intended to deliver meaningful improvements for Islanders facing vulnerability, with a strong emphasis on coordination, accountability, and measurable social outcomes.

Sincerely,

Barb Ramsay

Minister