Immediate Prioritization of Prevention Supports & Reunification For Ontario First Nation Families
Micheal Parsa, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services
First Nation, Inuit and Métis Children and Families Deserve Cultural Support, Restoration of Family and No Discrimination from Ontario Child Welfare Agencies
A recent Global News article entitled, “Indigenous kids allegedly called 'cash cows' of Ontario's child welfare system,” outlines the cash incentives child welfare agencies are given by the Ontario government to pay non-Indigenous foster and group home providers.
"Heather Pahpasay anxiously fidgets as she recalls being bounced around to more than 30 group and foster homes across the province.
The 19-year-old has dyed auburn hair that falls just below her shoulders. She is wearing a soft grey T-shirt. Two snakebite piercings rest on her bottom lip. She alternates between nervous laughter and tears as she describes moving from foster placement to group home. When she points to her arm, there is a trail of scars — a timeline of her life inside the child-welfare system.
“They’re my battle scars now.”
A circular wound from a hot lighter allegedly pressed into her flesh by a foster parent, other self-harm marks from emotional pain caused by frequent moves from home to home.
Another phase of residential schools
Sylvia Maracle, the former long-time executive director of the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres, described it as “another phase of residential schools.”
“There continues to be dollar signs placed on Indigenous people in this country,” Maracle said.
“It’s the consumption of children as assets because it brings them money.”
“Non-Indigenous people are making money on the backs of these children,” Maracle added. “You can pretend. But if you’re not Indigenous, if you don’t have an Indigenous child and you get paid to care for them, you are part of the schism that’s being created for the next generation.”
In a 2016 report, the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies (OACAS) warned the Ontario government about both the displacement of Indigenous youth into the child-welfare system and the “very high” rates some companies were charging. OACAS represents 49 Indigenous and non-Indigenous child-welfare agencies.
It is unacceptable the province of Ontario and its child welfare agencies provide minimum $173 a day to non-Indigenous foster and group homes. The money is best spent as intended as outlined by Ministry and Children and Social Service’s Child Welfare Design Strategy, July 2020;
Focus on transforming child and family services to strengthen families and communities through:
- prevention
- early intervention
Ontario Children's Aid Societies are failing to take the necessary steps to prioritize reducing the number of First Nation, Inuit and Metis children in the Ontario child welfare system. Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Actions, United Nation
Indigenous children deserve and have right to family, culture, traditions
Truth and Reconcili-action Now in the Ontario Child Welfare System
Petition by
To:
Micheal Parsa, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services
From:
[Your Name]
As Minister of Children and Community and Social Services, your responsibility is to oversee the delivery of child protection services, work with Indigenous communities to ensure healthy social and health detriments are met for Indigenous children and families and children's aid societies are adhering to Bill-C92, An Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis Children and Families, Minimum Standards and Ontario’s Quality Standards.
First Nation, Inuit and Metis children have inherent self determination rights to their family, culture, traditions and language.
We call upon you, as Minister of Children, Community and Social Services to send ministerial orders to Children’s Aid Societies outlining Directives;
• Prioritize Indigenous cultural holistic preventive supports
• Immediate steps to reunify First Nation, Inuit and Métis children with family
We demand immediate steps to send Ministeral Letters and Policy Directive to provide direction to all Ontario Children’s Aid Societies societies with respect to prioritizing the practice of cultural holistic prevention supports to keep families together and reunification of Indigenous children returned safely to their families.