Vancouver aboriginal agency takes on full child welfare services

Community Action, March 20, 2008

The Vancouver Aboriginal Children and Family Services Society will take on full child welfare services to its functions under an agreement with the Ministry of Children and Family Development, the first such arrangement in British Columbia.

The agency, founded in 1992, and serves First Nation people living in the Vancouver area, will provide the full range of child welfare services, starting in April. The society has been recruiting foster parents and group homes, guardianship of children in care, family preservation and reunification programs, and providing resources for the caregivers on cultural and spiritual traditions to the children.

Their programs involve more than 300 children from more than 100 First Nations. With the new responsibilities, the agency expects a sizable increase in its caseload.

The society will now:

* review, assess and investigate reports of child abuse, neglect or exploitation;

* select and supervise foster parents.

The agreement with the provincial government states: "The parties acknowledge the need to address the unique historically based problems that face aboriginal children and the need to develop the means of assisting those children and families within the context of their aboriginal heritage, spirituality and culture."

Nearly half of BC's children in foster care are aboriginals. However, the First Nations children are less than 9% of all children. As the number of BC children in foster care declines each year, the proportion of aboriginal foster children increases.

Bernadette Spence is the society's CEO.

www.vacfss.com