VACFSS now responsible for Aboriginal child protection

Early this spring, Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society (VACFSS) became the first full-service urban Aboriginal child and family service agency in British Columbia and is believed to be the largest in Canada.
On April 1, the Aboriginal child protection function for Vancouver and Richmond was "transferred to VACFSS for the purpose of augmenting cultural support in child welfare service provision to urban Aboriginal children and families," according to an official statement.
Previously the responsibility for Aboriginal child protection belonged to the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD), while VACFSS provided a number of other services.
Now, VACFSS will be responsible for reviewing, assessing and investigating reports of child abuse, neglect and the exploitation of children; providing service to the parents or others who are responsible for the care of such children; and, providing services that will help strengthen Aboriginal children and families.
VACFSS president Kathy Louis said the change is an exciting new venture.
"I believe that we can move forward when we can be believed by the mainstream system," she said. "But I also believe that we need to continue to build upon the strengths that we have within the organization in helping children who've been taken into care. And hopefully we can lessen the number of children and youth that come into care and that we can assist families who are struggling."
Beverly Dicks is the regional executive director for the Vancouver coastal region with MCFD. She explained that VACFSS is the largest urban Aboriginal agency to receive full child-protection delegation, provincially funded. Manitoba has some delegated agencies, she said, but a lot of the agencies that receive such delegation receive funding that comes from the federal government.
"A lot of our delegated agencies in the province are part of land-based reserves," Dicks explained. "But VACFSS is representing about 80 different nations in urban Vancouver from all over Canada."
VACFSS is responsible for more than 500 children in-care, having received partial delegation for years to provide care and control for children in-care.
"What we've moved to with this new delegation agreement is they will now take on responsibility for the full arena of child protective services across Vancouver and Richmond," Dicks said, noting the responsibilities and agenda are "huge".
Motivation for the change came from the Aboriginal community.
"There's a need to have an Aboriginal child welfare approach for Aboriginal children and families and that those services are provided by Aboriginal people," Dicks said. "Traditionally they've been provided by government. VACFSS will bring the traditions and the culture of their families and their communities to their practice, and government was really never able to do that. There are not a lot of Aboriginal people in government, and it's very hard for government to practice in a way that truly honours the culture and the traditions of Aboriginal people."
Dicks notes there has been "a lot of history around mistrust with our ministry." She believes that under the new arrangement, Aboriginal children, youth and families will now be able to reach out for help and will seek out the much needed services of VACFSS.
"Traditionally the system has not worked for Aboriginal people," added Kathy Bedard Sparrow, president of the Vancouver Coastal Aboriginal Planning Committee.
"And change has to happen now and that's what this is all about. There is a lot of change that is happening now because the government is acknowledging that they have not done a good job and it's up to us. We've been saying for years, we are the ones who are responsible for our children and we want to take on that responsibility."