BR Mba CFS Funding – CP

Source: The Canadian Press – Broadcast wire
Mar 28, 2017 2:30

WINNIPEG – Canada’s indigenous affairs minister says Manitoba child welfare should move away from rewarding the apprehension of children to focus more on keeping families together.

Carolyn Bennett was in Winnipeg yesterday to announce the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs will be given 550-thousand dollars to consult with First Nations communities across the province on how to reform Child and Family Services.

Bennett says giving agencies more money because they’ve apprehended children just means the money is going to lawyers.

She says the federal government wants the money to go to the children and their families.

Manitoba has more than 10-thousand children in care and apprehends an average of one newborn baby a day.

About 90 per cent of the children in care are indigenous.

Assembly Grand Chief Derek Nepinak says real change will be measured by the ability of child welfare agencies to focus their energies on keeping families together.

Cora Morgan, Manitoba’s First Nation’s children’s advocate, says the current system is essentially an extension of residential schools and the ’60s Scoop.

—

(The Canadian Press)

INDEX: NATIONAL SOCIAL POLITICS