Children will benefit with careful planning

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The National Child Benefit (NCB), which is delivered jointly by federal, provincial and territorial governments along with some First Nations, was introduced in 1998 as a form of income support for low-income families.

It has three objectives: It is intended to help reduce child poverty; to promote employment and training to remain employed; and to harmonize program objectives and benefits, and simplify administration, according to information released by Indian Affairs.

Many bands, especially the larger ones, receive significant sums of money through the NCB to support projects in five areas targeted by the program.

This month, for instance, Indian Affairs announced that $1.9 million would go to just 12 of the Nishnawbe-Aski First Nations (about a quarter of the total in Nishnawbe-Aski), and another $960,000 would go to 24 of the 43 Union of Ontario Indians communities. Any First Nation that administers a social assistance (welfare) program is eligible to apply for the NCB.

But not all bands that may be eligible are applying for the money. Government officials say that is because some don't think they have enough trained people or resources to administer some of the beneficial programs.

Maybe some First Nations should take another look.

First Nations that want to apply are given a lot of leeway in designing and implementing the kinds of programs that meet their needs.

The five areas they can use NCB funds for are child daycare, child nutrition, early childhood development, employment and training programs, and community enrichment. This last category covers everything from peer support groups to a full range of cultural activities, or even parenting skills and training in managing personal finances.

Other needs to which some First Nations target the money are food vouchers, school lunch programs, educating parents in nutrition, employment and skills development, personal development workshops, youth drop-in centres and after-school care.

Some individuals with children are not happy because they believe their social assistance cheques may have been reduced by a portion of the dollars being provided by the NCB program to their band. They see it as moneyh taken off them on the one hand and given back on the other, but when the money is taken off social assistance allotments to bands it is invested in a fund which in turn delivers NCB dollars to the band to pay for programs the community has identified as important to them. Basically, it's meant to be a bigger bang for your buck.

It has just been announced that Attawapiskat has received nearly half a million dollars in NCB allocations and so has Sandy Lake. Wikwemikong got a little over a quarter of a million. On the other hand, Zhiibaabaasing was entitled to just $2,800 under the program this year.

Kris Hill, policy analyst with the strategic direction and policy directorate with Indian Affairs' Ontario region explained how the reinvestment portion of the National Child Benefit program works.

"First Nations provide application to the department, and allocations to communities are based on their savings that are generated from the National Child Benefit program. They apply for the funding and the applications are reviewed based on the criteria for the five areas.

"The programs must be geared to low-income families and meet the objectives of the overall program."

Parents can receive help under the NCB program until children are 18.

Tony Prudori, a communications officer for Indian Affairs, explained that the NCB money is actually a federal top-up to the benefits that social assistance recipients get under the provincial Ontario Works program. "The benefit cheque stays the same; however, there is a top up that is ... coming from the federal government ... that is reinvested."

Hill said she believes the child nutrition program is the most popular one with First Nations. It has been proven that a child who has a decent breakfast performs much better atschool, which is why some schools offer meal programs.

Shelley Trudeau,who prepares NCB proposals for Wikwemikong agrees the money does a lot of good in her community. She said they have more than 20 initiatives,which are co-sponsored with other organizations, to help their low-income families. She recommends that all bands look at ways to meet NCB funding criteria.