WINNIPEG (CBC) - Another child-welfare agency in Manitoba is under review following allegations of questionable financial practices, the provincial government revealed Thursday.

The Cree Nation Child and Family Caring Agency has been under review since last 2007, but Family Services Minister Gord Mackintosh only made it public Thursday.

The opposition Conservatives tabled in the legislature an internal memo from the executive director of the agency, which serves communities in northwestern Manitoba including Flin Flon, The Pas and Easterville,

Dated January of last year, the memo discussed a shortfall in cash flow and prohibited travel for employees except in emergency situations.

Conservative Leader Hugh McFadyen fears that means social workers were not travelling, as is often required in the north to visit the children and families it was serving.

After question period, Mackintosh revealed the agency is already the subject of a review by the federal government, the province and the northern authority for CFS agencies.

"I am out of my skin," he said. "I am very concerned about some of the allegations that have been raised. And, of course, the job now of this outside investigation is to determine whether the allegations are substantiated or not."

Mackintosh handed out a letter from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada outlining issues with the agency, including:

- The purchase of a $30,000 van for the board's executive director in lieu of three years' of salary increases.

- Payments of $2,000 a month to Swampy Cree Tribal council for "services that could not be justified."

- Honoraria and travel per-diems for board members and employees, and out-of-province board and staff retreats.

Mackintosh said the latest allegations just add to his outrage.

"If a child welfare agency is spending money on things other than child protection, if it's doing a lot of excessive travel for board members or making payments to a tribal council, then there's going to be an impact on the ability of the child welfare system agency to deliver services to children," he said.

"It's unacceptable. I mean, this is completely unacceptable."

Mackintosh said he expects the full results of the review within the next few weeks.

Two CFS agencies in southern Manitoba are already under review following the deaths of two children.

The Sagkeeng Child and Family Services agency, which handled the case of Gage Guimond, a two-year-old who died in 2007 after being placed in the care of a distant relative who is now charged with manslaughter in his death.

Southeast Child and Family Services, which was involved in the case of Tracia Owen, a 14-year-old girl who committed suicide in 2005 after she was moved more than 65 times through a variety of care facilities.

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