Government review of child welfare system doesn’t provide the answers

Jean Lafrance, former Children’s Advocate for Alberta’s Children’s Services, had strong words for the provincial government: put the resources where they’re needed.
The government’s response to the year-long review carried out by an expert panel looking at Alberta’s child intervention system “as far as (the government’s recommendations) go are probably okay, but I don’t think they go far enough,” said Lafrance. “The response of the minister (Yvonne Fritz) frightens me. We don’t need a measured response. We need a powerful response.”

That response has to tackle the systemic issues that force so many Aboriginal children into care: poverty; oppression; racism; young single parents with little support; the perpetuation of the cycle which sees 15-year-old girls giving birth and then their 15-year-old daughters giving birth; drug and alcohol abuse; the intergenerational impact of residential schools; and living in violence.

Right now, the government remains focused on addressing the outcomes, not tackling the systemic issues in order to change the outcomes, said Lafrance
“One of the short comings of Child Welfare is that they have not allowed the Aboriginal people to find their own way in what should be a common vision,” said Lafrance.
But he also admonished Aboriginal people for putting their differences “created by the white institutions” in front of their children.

Said Lafrance, “Separate, you are divided. You are mincemeat. You cannot succeed. If you have no children, you have no future.”

Lafrance punctuated his statements with staggering figures. Sixty-four per cent of children in care are Aboriginal and the majority of them no longer reside in their home communities. He broke those figures down further noting that Saddle Lake First Nation had 300 children in care in Edmonton; Samson First Nation had 600 children in care away from home; and the Blood Tribe had 800 children in care, half of whom were spread throughout the province.

One of the recommendations put forward by the panel is the creation of a senior executive position at the assistant deputy minister level that would focus on Aboriginal children and their families.

“We don’t need an assistant deputy minister who may turn out to be a token Indian with no resources and no authority,” said Lafrance.

The Children’s Services budget is $1.3 billion. Since two-thirds of the children in care are Aboriginal, two-thirds of the budget should be used to address Aboriginal issues, said Lafrance.

“But Aboriginal families have no control over that money,” he said. “What would happen if they gave that money to Aboriginal organizations, told them to address the issues in a way that will work for you. What we have done is overlaid a white system in the Aboriginal world. And it’s not working.”

Lafrance contended that Elders and community members and leaders know how to address Aboriginal issues and need the freedom and the resources to be able to do what will work.

“Why should white guys in suits determine how $800 million should be spent?” he said.

The panel, appointed by the provincial government in 2009, consisted of nine experts from across the country, including two from Alberta, and a provincial MLA. The report, entitled, “Closing the gap between vision and reality: Strengthening accountability, adaptability and continuous improvement in Alberta’s child intervention system” was filed June 30. Fourteen recommendations were put forward, which the government divided into four categories: services for Aboriginal Albertans; quality assurance; capacity to implement change; and governance.

Among the panels recommendations were: to establish an ongoing tripartite process between the federal and provincial governments and First Nations; establish an off-reserve Aboriginal service delivery stream; accreditation of all child intervention services delivered by government or on behalf of the government; and establish a Child and Family Service Quality Council.

Lafrance is not sold on more bureaucracy and internal government changes, stating that Child Welfare had become a “massive industry” in Alberta. For Aboriginal children to be properly cared for, he said, Aboriginal people need to have self-determination.

“Aboriginal people never gave up their treaty rights to their children. They were taken. Aboriginal people will have to take their right back,” said Lafrance.

Lafrance was in Edmonton on Oct. 22 as part of the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights conference entitled, “Circle Alberta 2010 – From Action to Change.”

Said Lafrance, “You have to grab (your rights) and take it back. Nobody will give it you.”