pre-show quiz
Which province had the highest rate of Indigenous foster children?
Manitoba - 61.8 per 1000 children
Where does the term “sixties scoop” come from?
Newborn babies being scooped up from their mothers on reserves
What is the main reason for Indigenous children to be placed in foster care?
Neglect (often linked to poverty and housing)
How much of the foster care system is Indigenous?
As of 2021, 57.3%
What are some of the challenges and barrier that aging out children deal with?
•Poorer Education Outcomes
•Poorer Health Outcomes
•Increased Criminal Justice Outcomes
•Increased/higher Levels of Substance Abuse
•Higher Rates of Homelessness
•Higher Chance of Risky Sexual Activities
What are some challenges for service providers when dealing with Indigenous issues in the child welfare system?
Overrepresentation of Indigenous children in care
Structural inequities and funding disparities
Bias and systemic racism in decision making
Lack of culturally proper services
Jurisdictional complexity
Which province had the highest disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children in the foster care system?
Alberta
What were the initial reasons for the creation of the child welfare system?
•Protect children from abuse.
•Protect children from neglect.
•Protect children from being exploited.
•Protect children from partaking in juvenile delinquency
What are some proposed solutions brought up in calls to action that relate to the child welfare system?
Reducing overrepresenation, publishing statistics and exact numbers, giving reasons for placement within the system, implementing Jordan’s principle, and implementing culturally appropriate care programs
What percent of First nations children in foster care lived with non-Indigenous foster parents (as of 2021)?
50.6%
For Inuit children, it was 51.6 and for Metis, it was 63.4
What are some of the ways that Native Child and Family Services of Toronto support Indigenous children?
Alternative care options
Involve Indigenous communities in project planning, policy creation and making sure they have a voice in decisions (Band Engagement)
Family support services
Education founded in Indigenous practices
What is Jordan’s principle?
Child first policy which states that First Nations children should get access to public services without delays
What age do you think had the highest rate of representation amongst Métis in the foster care system?
Age ranged 0-4 and 5-9
For First Nations, it was 10-14 and for Inuit, it was 5-9
In what year were social workers mandated to start informing the band councils when an Indigenous child on their respective reserves were to be taken?
Bonus: What was the exact name of the act
1980 - Child, family, and community services act
Which section of the Indian Act made provincial and territorial laws applicable to First Nations reserves?
Bonus: When was it implemented?
Section 88 - 1951