Customary care examined

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A Native child welfare conference held on Manitoulin Island April 30 to May 2 attracted delegates from across Ontario. The event was hosted by Kina Gbezhgomi Child and Family Services of Wikwemikong.

Their aim was to find new ways to recruit and retain First Nations' foster parents.

"Child welfare is really in a crisis," Kina Gbezhomi executive director Dianne Roach explained. "With 80 per cent of the children in care in the Little Current area coming from First Nations, we have to get involved.

"Because of the disproportionate number of children in care, the CAS (Children's Aid Society) has no choice but to place kids off the island and in Sudbury foster homes," she said. "But the risk assessment tools used by the CAS do not acknowledge First Nations culture and lifestyles. CAS apprehensions are not appropriate in Native communities. They have no emphasis on family preservation."

Roach advocates the revival of customary care practices in First Nations to reduce CAS involvement in family problems. She called upon the extended families of children in care to provide foster care.

George Simard, executive director of Weechi-it-te-win Family Services in Ontario's Rainy Lake Region, spoke to the assembly about the spirit of customary care.

He estimates 180 to 200 children are in customary care in his area.

Weechi-it-te-win has set clear priorities for such placements.

A placement with extended family on-reserve is preferred. If that is not possible, the next choice is with extended family off-reserve. A third option is another Native family on-reserve or off-reserve. In some cases, non-Native families off-reserve are used, but institutions are a last resort.

"This model attempts to be pro-child and stresses the Anishinabe way," he said. He pointed out that non-Native child welfare strategies focus on clinical counselling, investigations and alternative care; whereas, the First Nations approach emphasizes access to Elders, healers, sweats, shaking tents and other teachings for the Anishinabe child.