A mother is pleading with Indigenous chiefs to vote in favor of a historic $47.8 billion child welfare reform deal that could bring much-needed change to the system.
The deal, which was announced by the federal government last week, aims to address the overrepresentation of Indigenous children in foster care and the lack of funding for child welfare services on reserves.
For the mother, who cannot be named to protect the identity of her children, this deal is personal. She has been fighting for years to get her children back from the child welfare system.
“I have seen firsthand the devastating effects of the current child welfare system on Indigenous families,” she said in an interview with CTV News. “It’s time for change.”
The mother’s story is not unique. Indigenous children make up more than half of all children in foster care in Canada, despite only accounting for 7.7% of the total child population.
Under the proposed deal, the federal government would provide $40 billion over the next five years to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities to take over control of their own child welfare services. An additional $7.8 billion would be allocated for prevention and support services.
The mother believes that this deal could be a game-changer for Indigenous families. “It’s about time that we have the resources and support to keep our children in our communities and with our families,” she said.
However, the deal still needs to be approved by Indigenous chiefs across the country. Some have expressed concerns about the lack of consultation and the timeline for implementation.
But for the mother, the urgency of the situation cannot be ignored. “Every day that goes by without this deal in place is another day that Indigenous children are being taken from their families,” she said.
She is urging chiefs to put aside their differences and vote in favor of the deal. “This is not just about politics, this is about the well-being of our children,” she said.
The vote is expected to take place at the Assembly of First Nations’ special chiefs assembly on December 8. If approved, the deal could bring much-needed change to the child welfare system and give Indigenous communities the power to care for their own children.
