In June 2021, The Office of the Representative for Children and Youth published “Skye’s Legacy: A Focus on Belonging.” This investigative report looks at the influence of colonialism on the B.C. child welfare system and at ongoing intergenerational damage impacting Indigenous children and families. It recommends that jurisdiction over Indigenous child welfare services be held by Indigenous communities, and it outlines immediate actions required while this change takes place.
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Decolonization and Indigenous rights
Recommendation 1:
MCFD to conduct a systemic needs analysis of cultural and family support resources required to ensure that social workers are better supported to promote a sense of belonging and identity for First Nations, Métis, Inuit and Urban Indigenous children and youth in care in relation to their families, culture and cultural community over time and at different stages in their lives and identity development. This review will inform the development of a longer-term resourcing and implementation plan. However, given the urgent need to address the significant over-involvement of the child welfare system in the lives of Indigenous children and families and poor outcomes for Indigenous children in the child welfare system, a substantive investment of new resources should be made immediately that can be considered a down payment on the resources identified for the longer-term plan.
Funding for immediate and substantive new resources to be secured and implementation to begin no later than April 1, 2022.
Needs analysis and resourcing plan to be completed by Sept. 30, 2022 with longer-term, sustained funding secured and implementation of new resources beginning by April 1, 2023.
The needs analysis of cultural support resources must be informed by meaningful consultation and collaboration with First Nations, Métis and Inuit entities in accordance with obligations under DRIPA and recognizing that Indigenous people hold the expertise, and inherent right of responsibility, over their children. Without limiting the foregoing, the ministry should consider enhancing social workers’ capacity to do the required work; Roots workers/Family Finders; working with communities to create cultural support circles, matriarchal circles or other circles deemed appropriate by individual communities; cultural reconnection and reunification actions such as visits to home communities and places of connection; support for case re-assessments and family/community reconnection; support to family member visitations regardless of where the child lives; participation in cultural activities; and children in care being supported to visit their traditional territories for significant family or milestone ceremonies and at minimum twice a year.
Funding for immediate and substantive new resources to be secured and implementation to begin no later than April 1, 2022.
Needs analysis and resourcing plan to be completed by Sept. 30, 2022 with longer-term, sustained funding secured and implementation of new resources beginning by April 1, 2023.
The needs analysis of cultural support resources must be informed by meaningful consultation and collaboration with First Nations, Métis and Inuit entities in accordance with obligations under DRIPA and recognizing that Indigenous people hold the expertise, and inherent right of responsibility, over their children. Without limiting the foregoing, the ministry should consider enhancing social workers’ capacity to do the required work; Roots workers/Family Finders; working with communities to create cultural support circles, matriarchal circles or other circles deemed appropriate by individual communities; cultural reconnection and reunification actions such as visits to home communities and places of connection; support for case re-assessments and family/community reconnection; support to family member visitations regardless of where the child lives; participation in cultural activities; and children in care being supported to visit their traditional territories for significant family or milestone ceremonies and at minimum twice a year.
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