Conclusion and Recommendations

Recommendations for improving prevention-based efforts

Recommendation 41: MCFD should work with community-based groups to develop safety and risk assessment tools that are adapted in order to recognize the unique cultures and ways of life of Indigenous communities across BC

Conclusion and Recommendations

Recommendations for improving prevention-based efforts

Recommendation 42: For expecting parents, it is important to have an advocate or family support worker do initial visits to enhance the chances for engagement with services prior to birth. MCFD must work with community-based organizations that have developed best practices in engaging expectant parents to assess how the Ministry can develop a pathway whereby expectant parents could voluntarily seek prevention supports prior to their child’s birth.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Recommendations for improving prevention-based efforts

Recommendation 43: Frequent family visits and family reunication must always be the top priority and never delayed due to shortages in MCFD resources. MCFD should ensure that staff understand the need to prioritize frequent family visits and, where feasible, work with community-based organizations that are supporting the parent to ease access

Conclusion and Recommendations

Recommendations for improving prevention-based efforts

Recommendation 44: Children in temporary care must be kept within an accessible distance to the parent with due consideration to the parents’ circumstances (financial etc). Where a child needs to be close to their home nation, parents must be given financial supports to ensure that there is adequate access to maintain family connection.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Recommendations for improving prevention-based efforts

Recommendation 45: MCFD should work with community-based organizations to assess creative ways that social workers could be placed directly within community including mechanisms that would need to be put in place to ensure this does not undermine the relationship of trust between community and families (i.e this may include frontline workers focusing only on prevention and no apprehension).

Conclusion and Recommendations

Recommendations for improving prevention-based efforts

Recommendation 46: The policy should set out a strategy for expediting criminal checks so that no child’s placement is delayed because of a criminal record check.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Recommendations for improving advocacy for parents and Indigenous communities:

Recommendation 47: The BC government and MCFD must ensure that each parent engaging with MCFD has access to a trained community-based support worker to help them navigate the child welfare process. Community-based support workers must be trained in collaborative, trauma-informed, and culturally safe practices.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Recommendations for improving advocacy for parents and Indigenous communities:

Recommendation 48: MCFD should work collaboratively with Indigenous communities to develop training and tools to support Indigenous peoples and communities to understand their rights regarding child welfare.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Recommendations for improving advocacy for parents and Indigenous communities:

Recommendation 49: The BC government and MCFD to fund child and family advocates in each community-based organization and Nation as a support service to families and the broader community.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Recommendations for improving advocacy for parents and Indigenous communities:

Recommendation 50: MCFD to ensure that the Indigenous community supporting the parent has been contacted and assisted to participate in the process where consent has been given by the parent.