The B.C. Government has introduced legislation that will give Indigenous communities greater involvement in child-welfare decisions.
Minister of Children and Family Development Katrine Conroy introduced a bill that, if passed, would support more ways to keep children in their Indigenous communities and ensure those communities receive ongoing notification of legal proceedings affecting children.
“Keeping Indigenous children connected to their family and communities is a key priority of out government,” said Conroy. “We will continue to listen to, and work with Indigenous communities to reform the child-welfare system and reduce the number of Indigenous children in care.”
The way the current law works is that the the ministry can only reach out to a child’s Indigenous community with the parent’s consent or to ensure the child’s safety and well-being. The government says this makes it challenging for the Indigenous community and social workers to find alternatives to removing the children from their home.
The province was recently criticized for removing a child from an Indigenous parent who is a member of the Huu-ay-aht First Nation. The baby was returned after nearly two months following a ruling from a B.C. Provincial Court Judge.
“This judgment provides strong recognition of the importance of the maternal/infant bond, and the obligation upon the ministry to fully consider the supports that are available to keep mom and baby together rather than simply removing the infant from the mother,” said Maegen Giltrow, counsel for the mother and Huu-ay-aht at the time.
“This is an especially important recognition of the role of the Huu-ay-aht community in supporting one of its citizens as she moves into the role of new mother.”
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The decision of social workers to remove the child from its mother drew quick criticism from the province’s Children’s Representative Bernard Richard. He said the case is extremely frustrating, adding that it is complicated, but that it shouldn’t be complicated to allow for breastfeeding and to provide necessary support for the mother to stay in her community.
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The Huu-ay-aht First Nation is supporting the changes announced on Tuesday but has concerns about whether the child-welfare system will be properly funded to support Indigenous families.
“These changes are important in recognizing that Indigenous families and Indigenous communities share responsibility for the upbringing and well-being of Indigenous children,” said Huu-ay-aht Councillor Sheila Charles.
“However, the true test will be whether the government commits the financial resources and shows the willingness on the ground to work with us, so we are all working as hard as we can, doing everything we can for each child, together.”