Funding issues remain for Aboriginal children’s aid agencies

The Anishinabek Nation is calling for more resources to look after children in foster care.
“Other governments must put a stop to the harm that has been caused to thousands of our kids – first in residential schools, then in foster homes,” said Deputy Grand Chief Glen Hare. “They have to give us the resources our communities need to look after our own children; their welfare is more important than providing jobs for outside agencies.”
Hare noted that a Human Rights complaint was filed in 2007 by the Assembly of First Nations and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada against Canada for its funding of First Nations child welfare agencies across the country. Funding was an average of 22 per cent less than the budgets of provincial agencies like Children’s Aid Societies.
“It’s proceeding along, of course slower than I would like given the vulnerability of the children,” said Cindy Blackstock, executive director of First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada. “But it does mark the first time in Canadian history that the federal government has been held to account for its current treatment of First Nations children.”
Blackstock said Canada knows it provides inequitable funding for First Nations children served by child welfare.
“It knows that inequitable funding is linked to growing numbers of First Nations children in foster care.
“Yet, instead of dealing with the inequality that has been documented by the Auditor General and their own internal reports and documents, they are fighting against the right for these children to be treated equitably,” Blackstock said.
“It just does not make sense to racially discriminate against little kids and their families.”
Hare also emphasized that the removal of children from one group of people to another is considered as one of the indicators of genocide under international law.
“Now that Canada has finally endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, it needs to understand that forcibly removing children from one group of peoples to another is considered genocide by the standards of international law,” Hare said.
Blackstock is waiting for Canada to act in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
“Canada’s signing was so lukewarm, I said to people I will get excited when Canada acts in accordance with the declaration,” Blackstock said. “Politicians say many things about First Nations children, none of those make a difference unless they put them into action and meaningfully support the cultural based equity of these children.”
Grand Chief Stan Beardy said Nishnawbe Aski Nation chiefs are now pushing for jurisdiction over children’s care.
“Unless we have jurisdiction, we will never have a full say on what happens to children that might come into temporary care,” Beardy said.
Beardy said the childcare agencies are mandated through provincial legislation.
“That is a foreign legislation designed to take children away from their own setting and family unit,” Beardy said.
“To counteract that foreign concept, we need to have our authority, our jurisdiction recognized with the ability to make our own childcare laws to support the families in bringing the children up in a proper environment.”
Beardy said as of last December, there were about 1,000 children in care from NAN territory.
“We work very hard to ensure that children in care maintain strong family ties,” Beardy said.
Beardy said the whole purpose in establishing Tikinagan Child and Family Services, Payukotayno Child and Family Services and Kunuwanimano Child and Family Services is to influence how the children are looked after while in care.
“The plan within NAN territory is as much as possible trying to keep all of our children within NAN territory,” Beardy said.
An Indian and Northern Affairs Canada spokewoman said INAC does not deliver child and family services.
“Child welfare is an area of provincial jurisdiction,” said Geneviève Guibert, media relations public affairs INAC, in an e-mail message.
“Under the 1965 Welfare Agreement with the province of Ontario, INAC reimburses the province for a portion of provincial expenditures on First Nations child and family services for on-reserve status Indians. INAC does not fund agencies directly in Ontario.”
Guibert said the safety of all children is a priority for the federal government. “By focusing on prevention activities, child and family services providers are able to deliver appropriate services before problems escalate and become a matter for child protection,” Guibert said. “It is unfortunate when children must be removed from their homes under any circumstance, but such action is taken only in accordance with provincial legislation.”
A Ministry of Children and Youth Services spokesman said the ministry is committed to improving services for Aboriginal children and youth on- and off-reserve to help them succeed and reach their full potential.
“Whenever possible, the children’s aid society will work directly with the parents or caregivers under a voluntary agreement to protect the child,” said Peter Spadoni, media relations and issues coordinator with the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, in an e-mail message.
“We know there is more to do to help meet the needs of kids living on- and off-reserve across the province. Currently six of the 53 Ontario children’s aid societies are Aboriginal child protection agencies.
“This year’s funding to Aboriginal children’s aid societies recognizes and reflects the community’s unique challenges and will help Aboriginal children’s aid societies maintain a stable footing.”
Spadoni said the ministry is providing a total of $118.9 million to the six Aboriginal children’s aid societies in 2010/11, a two per cent increase from last year.
The funding includes $8.5 million in dedicated funding to meet their unique needs and $1.6 million based on child welfare transformation priorities.
He said the children’s aid societies will receive new lump sum funding for admission prevention services and kinship service agreements, legal custody agreements and customary care agreements and an eight per cent increase in funding for adoption services.
“Earlier this year, John Beaucage, former (Anishinabek Nation) grand council chief was appointed as the minister’s Aboriginal advisor,” Spadoni said.
“He is working to bring together community leaders and experts at a summit this spring to discuss Aboriginal child welfare and to find solutions. We are continuing to work together with the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs to help improve services for Aboriginal children.”