Child care summit gives voice to grandmothers

The Robinson Superior Treaty Women’s Council is looking for absolute care and control of their children.
“We want to have a mechanism such as customary care to be implemented as part of the changes to improve Part 10 of the Child and Family Services Act and support the idea that there should be a separate act designed by our people in the province of Ontario and enacted by the government,” said Marlene Pierre, a member of the Robinson Superior Treaty Women’s Council. “We’ve got lots of work. It will take time but we want that control.”
Pierre said the council is looking for childcare services to be provided in their communities to keep families together rather than having the children sent away to other communities.
“That’s the short term and getting Part 10 reworked is the long term,” Pierre said.
Pierre added there is a need for programs for aftercare for young people coming out of jails as well as child care environments.
“We need those resources for prevention; we need to save our future desperately,” Pierre said. “Prevention is key to the future development of our children.”
The Robinson Superior Treaty Women’s Council also met with John Beaucage, Aboriginal advisor to the minister of Children and Youth Services, during its March 18-20 Leadership Forum at the Prince Arthur Waterfront Hotel and Suites in Thunder Bay.
“The aspect of prevention, when it comes to our children, is really important,” Beaucage said, noting the Child and Family Services Act is focused on the care of the child and preventing injury to the child. “But it does nothing for the family, so when we begin talking about prevention, we’re starting to talk more about a holistic way of looking after the family and thereby looking after the child.”
Beaucage said there is a need to look at the issue in a broader context, so the child, family and community can heal and grow so eventually there is no need for children to be taken away.
“When one child is taken away, that means there has been a failure somewhere,” Beaucage said. “And I just don’t want to blame the family — I think it is also a community responsibility.”
Norma Fawcett, headwoman of the Robinson Superior Treaty Women’s Council is calling for First Nations children to be placed for care with their own people.
“They need to be in homes that are our people, not just dropping them off at (non-native) people’s houses even though they are foster parents,” Fawcett said. “We need them to be in the care of our people.”
Beaucage invited Fawcett and Pierre to attend and talk about their issues at an upcoming Aboriginal Child and Youth Summit that the Ministry of Children and Youth Services will be holding April 18-19 at Fort William First Nation for front-line workers from the mandated and non-mandated Aboriginal children’s aid societies across Ontario as well as some community members.
“The minister has committed to being there during the whole time to listen,” Beaucage said.
Beaucage said the invitation to Fawcett and Pierre includes an opportunity to present during a Listening to Our Grandmothers session he is hosting on the second day of the summit.
“You do have a part in this summit,” Beaucage said. “The minister will be there to listen to you.”