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This article was published 30/11/2015 (1759 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba government says it has formally ended the use of hotels as emergency placements for all children in care of child and family services.

Earlier this year, it set June 1 as its goal for ending the stop gap measure, but by late May Family Services Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross was forced to admit it would take several more months to end the practice outside Winnipeg.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Family Services Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross announced in May that the province is on track to end the use of hotels as emergency placements for children in the care of CFS by June 1st. That date was later pushed to Dec. 1. On Monday, that goal was reached.

She set a new deadline of Dec. 1 for agencies operating in rural areas and the North. On Monday, she declared that the province had achieved that goal.

"We have created more appropriate options for caring for vulnerable children when a crisis occurs in their lives," Irvin-Ross said. "We’ve boosted resources for agencies so they have an appropriate and safe place for children in need of protection.

"We’re also investing more in better supports to help families look after their children at home."

The use of hotels to temporarily house kids in care had long been a controversial issue. However, it came to a head in early April when a teenage girl was found badly beaten outside a downtown Winnipeg parkade. The CFS ward had been staying at a nearby hotel -- as had her alleged attacker, who was also in the care of child welfare.

Irvin-Ross immediately vowed to end the practice as of June 1.