National Chief responds to Minister Prentice’s dismissal of the First Nations Child Welfare CrisisThe Evidence Supporting Human Rights Case in Child Welfare Summary Sheet February 8, 2007 Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Phil Fontaine recently announced that the AFN is considering filing a Canadian Human Rights Complaint against the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) based on discriminatory funding of First Nation Child Welfare Agencies. “It is unfortunate that the Minister will not acknowledge the true extent of the problem, and instead chooses to focus on the exact number of on-reserve First Nation children in state care. As the Minister responsible for status Indians in Canada it is disappointing that the Minister is not concerned with the total number of First Nations children in care. Whether it is 27,000 or 37,000, it is tens of thousands too many. But to set the record straight, the following is based on indisputable evidence generated by third party AND joint INAC-AFN collaborative studies:
“The Minister went on to state that funding for First Nations Child and Family Services is not capped at 2% but increases annually by 11%. There are two budget components for any given child welfare agency, operational and maintenance,” pointed out the National Chief. “The operational budget is the component that would enable the agencies to raise the quality of protection and engage in prevention services, this budget has been capped at 2% for the past decade.” “To equate the departmental maintenance budget increases of 11% annually as a good thing, is like saying the fact that the increasing numbers of First Nations children coming into care is a good thing. I would hope that Minister Prentice agrees with this point as evidenced by the following quotes from his own departmental website: “The current Program also lacks the authority to provide adoption subsidies and supports and less costly placement options such as kinship care, which are more effective for the child.” “The reimbursement regime for high cost placements out of the parental home combined with the lack of resources for least disruptive measures/prevention services is contributing to escalating program costs.” “At the end of the day, we must remember one thing, no matter what the exact number of our children in care is, these current high levels are unacceptable,” concluded the National Chief. “The Minister may acknowledge 9,000 and choose to ignore those in off reserve agencies. However it is the responsibility of First Nations to address the health and well being of every single First Nations child, no matter where they reside.” A fact sheet with more detailed information has been contributed by the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, a partner of the Assembly of First Nations
The Assembly of First Nations is the national organization representing First Nations citizens in Canada.
Contacts: Bryan Henry, AFN A/Communications Director Nancy Pine, Communications Advisor, Office of the National Chief |
