NDP decry Indigenous child welfare stats

By Ry Clarke - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on August 12, 2022.

Critics are calling for the Alberta government to decolonize the child welfare system after data from April 1 to June 30 shows 7 of 8 deaths of children in welfare systems were Indigenous.

Provincial data shows that children died while receiving child intervention services showing a rising number from previous years. In 2020 to 2021, 34 deaths were reported with 23 attributed to Indigenous children. This year’s data shows the death toll is already higher at 49 with 39 of those deaths being Indigenous children.

“During the pandemic, when we saw these numbers rising, the numbers for the 2021 fiscal year show that there’s a sharp increase in the number of young people. These are people who are 18-plus, who are transitioning out of government care, into adulthood. That’s where we see a sharp increase in the numbers of deaths. That speaks to the fact that the pandemic was challenging for a lot of people,” said Rakhi Pancholi, NDP Critic for Children’s Services in a Thursday interview with the Herald.

The data also includes a list of cause of death, with the April to June results listing six of the deaths as pending while the seventh is classified as not being investigated by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Previous years show 25 deaths still pending during this year and 2021.

In 2020 and 2021 the leading causes of deaths were reported as accidental, pending, or not investigated by OCME. Possible causes included in the list include accidental, homicide, natural, suicide, or undetermined.

When compared to non-Indigenous numbers the results are staggering. The 2020 and 2021 data shows non-Indigenous deaths at 11 with the leading cause suicide or accidental, with only one pending, one homicide, and one not being investigated by OCME.

The report also shows the type of Intervention children were receiving from Children’s Services. Five of the eight were in care, while the other three are listed as over 18 and receiving support and financial assistance.

Pancholi is now calling on Matt Jones, the Minister of Children’s Services for the UCP, to outline how he will support the implementation of Bill C-92 which will establish a framework for Indigenous communities to take over child and family services for Indigenous children, saying it is the proper thing to do and needs resourcing and funding from federal governments to ensure the transition.

“The goal of Bill C-92, is to do what First Nations and Indigenous groups have been asking for centuries. They should have control over their own child and family services. Bill C-92 sets up the framework for that to happen, a process by which they can assert their own authority over Child and Family Services. The challenge is this needs to be resourced and funded properly, in order for it to be successful. It requires funding from both the Provincial and Federal government to really make sure that First Nations communities are properly prepared,” said Pancholi.

Bill C-92 is an act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Metis children, youth and families, affirming the rights and jurisdiction of Indigenous peoples in relation to child and family services.

The bill’s intention is to set out the best interests of the children culturally and continually, including that the placement of Indigenous children should be in the best interests of the child with placement descending from one of their parents, another adult member of the family, or an adult who belongs to the same Indigenous community.

“When we were in government, from 2015 to 2019, we convened an all-party panel that had representation from all political parties, and had Indigenous elders, advocates, and experts in this field. We came forward with 39 recommendations and an action plan called Stronger Safer Tomorrow. Since 2019, the UCP government has blocked any efforts to be transparent and accountable for how they’ve implemented that action plan,” said Pancholi.