First Nations Want Greater Role in New Child Welfare System
First Nations Want Greater Role in New Child Welfare System
For Immediate Release: April 19, 2013
(Saskatoon, SK) On behalf of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) Executive Vice Chief Edward (Dutch) Lerat welcomes the Advocate for Children and Youth 2012 annual report. The recently released annual report emphasizes the need for greater inclusion of First Nations in designing, implementing and monitoring the new child welfare system.
Vice Chief Lerat appreciates the Province’s initial efforts to include First Nations in the design of the new child welfare system, however, that involvement has been significantly reduced and greater efforts must be made to ensure First Nations are not in the same place in another 20 years.
“We share the concerns of the Advocate for Children and Youth as raised in their recent annual report; particularly, that we must collectively do better for First Nations children and youth in Saskatchewan as well as for all children and youth in this province,” say Vice Chief Lerat. “Why wait another day to make those investments that will see the system responsive to the children that are using it. The moment to act is now. If we had acted collectively twenty years ago, we would be seeing the returns on those investments today with fewer health and social issues facing our children, youth and families, less pressures on health, social and justice systems in the province, and ultimately, a healthier and wealthier province overall.”
Vice Chief Lerat commends the Saskatchewan Advocate for Children and Youth for their role in protecting the rights of all children and youth in Saskatchewan. He also recognizes and respects the work of the Advocate’s office in advancing the importance of building better and more meaningful relationships between governments and First Nations as stated in the 2012 Advocate for Children and Youth Annual report.
The FSIN encourages every citizen of this province to become more involved in changing the system through advocacy and just being more informed. A good place to start is by reading the annual report which is available on the Advocate’s website.
The FSIN represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan. The Federation is committed to honouring the spirit and intent of Treaty, as well as the promotion, protection and implementation of the Treaty promises that were made more than a century ago.
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For more information:
Mervin Brass, Executive Director of Communications
Direct: 306.956.1026
Cellular: 306.220.7187
Email BlackBerry: mervin.brass@fsin.com
www.fsin.com
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