A report commissioned by the Progressive Conservative government says that prevention is key to reducing the number of children in care in Manitoba.
In October of 2017, a committee was struck to review and recommend changes to the Child and Family Services Act and the Child and Family Services Authorities Act.
Currently, there are about 11,000 kids in care across the province and 90 % of those are Indigenous.
“We believe the current structures and policies and systems in place to serve our children, especially those who are put in vulnerable positions, are not working,” said Michael Redhead Champagne from Aboriginal Youth Opportunities and a committee member. “And so there is a need, if we value the lives of children in this province, to do better.”
The report suggests that the current funding model being used to support child and family service agencies should be changed from funding based on the number of kids in care to a model that helps troubled families.
“There’s a real opportunity for the law to actually work for families and work for children in care,” said Diane Redsky from Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre and a member of the committee. “We all want children to be safe and secure and we all want families to be supported and have their voice in decision making. The real shift is to modernize our laws to reflect that.”
The report highlights the need to strengthen connections to culture and community. It also suggests that the province stop seizing newborns from mothers who have been flagged and instead support girls and young women who are pregnant with community-based and culturally appropriate services to better support mothers and their babies.
The report also suggests that more proactive planning should be provided for those who leave the child welfare system in an effort to support their transition to independence.
You can read the full report by clicking on the link below
LINK | Review of Manitoba’s Child Welfare Legislation Final Report
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