Families protest lack of proper care at Dilico

A peaceful protest was held outside the Dilico Anisknabek Family Care office at Fort William First Nation on July 12.
Families under Dilico’s care are concerned about the high amount of children in care, limited access visits with their children, and a lack of reunification despite the achievement of goals in aim of getting their children back home.
Dilico has about 600 children currently in care.
Tannis Smith, an employee of Gaa Mino Bimbaadizaiwaad Counseling & Advocacy, organized the protest which was attended by children, parents and Elders.
Smith, a former Dilico employee, works with 60 families who are currently under Dilico’s care.
“Most of the clients that I’m involved with are having no access to their children,” Smith said. “We’re concerned with how many children are in care.”
Despite their concerns, Smith and the other families at the protest were satisfied by the positive outcome of their efforts after Dilico managers invited protesters into the building for a discussion.
“It went well,” Smith said. “We weren’t expecting them to invite us in.”
During the meeting, Dilico committed to reviewing the files of families who attended the protest. Dilico also committed to holding a community forum within the next month.
“They made a commitment to do a community forum within one month and a commitment to review all of the families in attendance files’ within two weeks,” Smith said after the meeting.
Smith expressed great pride for the youth who had the courage to speak up during the meeting and share their stories. Families said that the meeting was very emotional.
Chasity Barnard, a mother under Dilico’s care, shared her story of separation from her children.
“I got a call to tell me that access is cancelled,” Barnard said. “Now I’m not seeing my babies at all. I’m (normally) only able to see my kids two hours a week, and now I can’t because of the strike.”
Barnard’s issues with Dilico are not only strike related. Barnard explained that she has had issues in the past when Dilico decided to separate her children, who are currently in foster care, from each other. She’s also had issues with reunification, which, she says, she has done everything to achieve.
“They need to see that I’m doing everything to get my children home,” Barnard said. “How am I supposed to reunify if I can’t see them at all?”
Barnard blames finances for the strike as well as for the insufficient care that her and her family have received.
“They used to be family oriented really well and now they’re just Children’s Aid. The traditions are lost. It’s simple. It’s the money,” she said.
Smith, Barnard and other families promise to continue to seek increased accountability from Dilico to children, families and the community.