Inquiry raises concerns about funding children in care

It is the recommendation of Justice Bart Rosborough that the province examine what the Kasohkowew Child Wellness Society claims to be a disparity in funding for children in care on reserves and if that disparity exists that the province enter into negotiations with the federal government.

The recommendation is one of nine that Rosborough brought forward in his 10-page report of the public fatality inquiry that was held into the death of Baby K, a 14-month-old girl from the Samson Cree First Nation. The baby died on March 28, 2009, of pneumonia while in government care of a delegated First Nations Authority.

“Evidence at this inquiry suggests … that (Delegated First Nations Authorities) are resourced to a lesser extent because of an archaic funding formula. There must be no disparity of funding in the funding of Aboriginal children versus non-Aboriginal children,” wrote Rosborough.

It is this very claim that has Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada and associate professor at the University of Alberta, in front of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.

Del Graff, of the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate, calls Rosborough’s recommendation “sound.”

“There are First Nations organizations, child and family organizations and others in this country who are saying there is a clear disparity in funding. And we have a federal government that’s, through a variety of means, disputing that,” said Graff. “At a fundamental level if there are differences in the way the children are supported and those differences are based on their race, it would seem obvious that’s a human rights issue. That’s why it’s in front of the tribunal.”

Graff said dialogue between his office and designated First Nations agencies, provincial authorities, and other groups, has led to an understanding that funding disparity exists. How large that disparity is, however, is unclear.

“On every front that I can think about in terms of child intervention services, there’s a disparity in terms of how First Nations children are served and how the general population is served,” said Graff.

The statistics are staggering considering Aboriginal young people account for only nine per cent of the Alberta population. Compared to their non-Aboriginal counterparts, four times as many Aboriginal children are being served by child intervention services; six times as many are in temporary care; and eight times as many are in permanent care.

Along with lack of funding, Rosborough also noted lack of documentation, lack of medical information and lack of training for foster parents among the factors that led to the death of Baby K, who was not only placed in to the care of the KCWS, but into the home of a  KCWS worker.

Rosborough also recommended that DFNA staff not be allowed to serve as foster parents for children under the care of that specific DFNA.

Rosborough noted that KCWS had already taken steps to address “the significant deficiencies in KCWS practice and procedures.”
“We’re involved with this organization and other agencies, we have advocates who work with them and the working relationships are effective,” said Graff.

Carolyn Peacock, new director with KCWS, did not return phone calls from Sweetgrass.

While Rosborough’s recommendations were specific to KCWS, Graff says they may pertain to other child care organizations as well.

“I think some of the issues raised in the inquiry are important …not just to First Nations agencies but important to whoever is providing child intervention services,” he said. “The justice touched on some very important issues for child intervention across the province.”

When Baby K died in 2009, the OCYA did not have the mandate to investigate the deaths of children in care, whether on or off-reserve. The ability to investigate children’s deaths or serious injury was added to the OCYA’s mandate in 2012 when the OCYA became an independent office of the legislature. Under the Child and Youth Advocate Act, investigations are not to assign blame but to make recommendations to prevent tragic circumstances from happening again.