Society lends helping hand

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When First Nation child welfare providers from across Canada gathered in the Squamish Nation in British Columbia in 1998, concern over the increase in the number of Aboriginal children in the welfare system was first and foremost in their minds. In response to the growing need to address this issue, the First Nations Caring Society of Canada was formed.

"When we put out the call for the meeting, we felt we needed a place to share and support one another in caring for Aboriginal children in a way that is respectful to the traditions of our distinct culture," said Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the society.

After travelling to numerous communities to track down existing information about Aboriginal child welfare, Blackstock and her Caring Society colleagues created an online database that includes approximately 800 annotated resources on child welfare. An additional 200 are on the way. These resources include academic journals, program descriptions, studies carried out by communities, media articles and government documents. An online journal called the First People's Journal is also in the works, with its first issue expected out this spring. Blackstock is confident their extensive library will serve as a rich resource for communities wanting to nurture their children.

One of the goals of the First Nations Caring Society is to deliver programs on a community level, in order to provide families with the equivalent support received by non-Aboriginal families. It is hoped that a preventative approach will lead to decreased incidents of neglect and will reduce the number of Aboriginal children in the welfare system.

"Our job is to try to provide support to those communities so they will be able to implement their own best solution. By providing tools for the community, they can build partnerships in a way that would most benefit their children," explained Blackstock.

"Research has shown that communities with higher levels of self-determinism in terms of self-government, health and educational programs and child welfare programs resulted in lower to zero suicide rates. Communities with very little cultural programs and low levels of self-government had higher suicide rates."

By working with the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs and voluntary sector organizations such as food banks, Big Brothers, and the National Children's Alliance, Blackstock hopes that First Nation children on reserves are able to receive the support they need, because often there are few provincial and municipal programs available to them.

In addition to assisting communities, the organization serves as a forum in which First Nation child welfare providers can conduct their own research. It also celebrates the good work that is being done by First Nation agencies.

"I would like to see the organization identified as being a support for First Nations agencies when working with different communities, since they are the ones that know what the answers are with regards to children," said Blackstock.

"I am very passionate about the organization because I feel strongly in people's ability to make the best decisions for themselves. I have great respect for the work being done in the First Nations community. I feel that is our responsibility as a national organization to ensure that Aboriginal children in the future have our support, so they can live as distinct and honoured young people in Canadian society."