Improving financial supports for Indigenous families

ENSURING CONSISTENCY IN FINANCIAL SUPPORTS FOR EXTENDED FAMILY-BASED CARE

Recommendation 16: MCFD must fulll the underlying intention of Grand Chief Ed John’s recommendation by undertaking a legislative review and financial policy review to ensure that all extended family-based caregivers are receiving the Child Tax Benefit and other benefits for each dependent in their care.

Recommendations for improving financial supports

Recommendation 16: MCFD should develop a plain-language fact sheet for kinship caregivers that sets out the pathways available to them under the CFCSA and FLA. Social workers must be required to provide this information sheet to all caregivers that could qualify for the EFP.

A pathway forward

THE RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION AND THE NEED FOR MORE SIGNIFICANT GOVERNMENT ACTION

Recommendation 17: Furthermore, the report calls on the federal government to ensure that there is full federal funding for Nations that assume jurisdiction over child welfare

Recommendations for improving financial supports

Recommendation 17: MCFD must advocate with the provincial government for the creation of a universal kinship caregiver benefit that is provided to all families in kinship care. This should apply to all children living in kinship care including families in which kinship caregivers have been granted guardianship orders under the FLA.

A pathway forward

JURISDICTIONAL SHORTFALLS: THE LIMITS OF MODERN TREATIES AND BILL C-92

Recommendation 18: BC government and MCFD to ensure that children are provided with services while the family navigates the process and develop a consistent mechanism for repaying costs for services provided in the interim

Recommendations for improving financial supports

Recommendation 18: MCFD should undertake a legislative review and financial policy review to ensure that all kinship caregivers are receiving the Child Tax Benefit and other benefits for each dependent in their care.

A pathway forward

THE SHORTFALLS WITH FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL FUNDING OF CHILD WELFARE SERVICES FOR INDIGENOUS FAMILIES

Recommendation 19: MCFD must continue to work with communities to ensure that they are being adequately funded to provide child welfare services.

Recommendations for improving prevention-based efforts

Recommendation 19: The BC government and MCFD should increase preventative program funding to Indigenous communities for existing or new promising practices. Funding must be equitable, sustained and long-term, and cover the delivery of holistic services as identified by communities. Funding should cover services such as:

• Human resource needs of community-based groups including issues with retention, burn out, inequity in pay scales etc.
• In-home support
• Pregnancy support and baby welcoming programs
• Transition support programming for families after children have been removed or upon being returned home
• Supports for parents whose children are in care
• Provide in-home support immediately as a tool to prevent removal
• Funding for cultural programming that is consistent and frequent

Recommendations for improving prevention-based efforts

Recommendation 20: The BC government and MCFD must fund and resource supportive housing alternatives where parents and children who are at risk of harm can live. These homes should be specifically qualified to address complex family circumstances. Creative housing solutions where caregivers and children can stay together while receiving wrap-around support are especially needed in remote areas.

Recommendations for improving prevention-based efforts

Recommendation 21: The BC government and MCFD should work with Indigenous communities to fund and develop comprehensive services for families that are experiencing violence including services for abusive men and services for the entire family. These services should address intersecting needs including historical trauma, parenting skills, and substance use.