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6TuesdayNovember252014HEALTHWELLNESSCHILDFAMILYSERVICESNWTchildwelfaresystemmustbeindigenous-ledformersocialworkerByMEAGANWOHLBERGIfindigenouschildrenarenolongergoingtoberemovedfromtheirfamiliesandcom-munitiesintheNorthchildandfamilyser-vicesaregoingtohavetobeseparatedfromthepublicgovernmentandputinthehandsofindigenouspeoplesarguesoneveteransocialworker.BureaucratsinthedepartmentofHealthandSocialServicesareinthemidstofplanninganoverhaulofthechildandfamilyservicessystemintheNorthwestTerritoriesfollowingascathingreviewbytheAuditorGeneralthatfoundalackofaccountabilityacrosstheboard.ButwhileArleneHachetheformerexecu-tivedirectoroftheCentreforNorthernFam-iliesbelievesdepartmentofcialshavethebestofintentionswhenitcomestothecareofchildrenintheNWTshesaidlittlewillchangeunlesscommunitiesaregivenmorecontroloveradministeringwhatshouldbeaprogrambasedonfamilysupportratherthanfostercare.IthinkindigenouspeopleneedtoleaditsoIthinkthedepartmentshouldlookatndingawaytomakesurethatindigenousleadersinsupportingfamiliesarebroughttogethertotaketheleadnotnon-indigenousbureaucratssaidHachewhohasmaintainedanadvocacyroleforfamiliesdespiteherre-centretirement.Indigenous-runoptionsFirstNationsandInuitarelegallyabletotakeovertheresponsibilitiesforchildwelfareinCanadabuthavebeenlimitedinthatcapacitybyalackofresources.Inthesouthnative-runchildwelfaresys-temshavebeensetupinvariousprovinceswithfederalfundingthatrununderpro-vinciallegislation.HachebelievesasimilarsystemcouldbedevelopedintheNorthwestTerritoriesbutonethatisoutsideofpublicgovernmentandthatallowsAboriginalser-viceproviderstoapplyclient-centeredap-proachestofamilysupportinaexiblesystem.ThoughlegislationintheNWTrequiresgovernmenttosetupcommunitycommitteeswithinchildandfamilyservicesithasneverbeendonesuccessfullyandisacknowledgedasamajorfailurebyseniorofcialswithinthedepartmentwhoarenowgoingbacktothedrawingboardonsettingupcom-munitycouncils.Hachesuspectsthemainreasoncommuni-tiesdontwanttoformcommitteesunderthecurrentsystemisbecauseofalackoftrust.Communitiesinmyexperiencedontwanttoengageinanadversarialdestruc-tivesystemthatperpetuatestherobberyoftheirchildrenHachesaid.Thatwillcon-tinuetobeaproblem.AndyLangforddirectorofchildandfam-ilyservicesfortheGNWTagreed.Inmanyquartersthecurrentactisseenasadversarialandtheressomesensethatthelackofuptakeofthecommitteesreectscommunitiesnotwantingtobecomeinvolvedinwhattheyseeasanadversarialprocessandsecondly...tointerfereinwhatisseenasafamilyaffairhesaid.DepartmentpromisesoverhaulTheGNWTannounceditsactionplantotransformchildandfamilyserviceslastmonthbasedonover100recommendationsfromtheAuditorGeneralandtheGNWTsownStandingCommitteeonSocialPrograms.Attheheartoftheoverhaulisthegoalofworkingwithfamiliestoimprovesituationsratherthanremovechildrenfromthehome.AsofAugusttherewere147childrenfromtheNWTuptotheageof18infostercare.Ninety-vepercentwereAboriginal.Langfordandhisteamarenowworkingtoamendthelegislationinordertocreatemoreopportunitiesforcommunitiestoen-gageinpreventionandfamilysupportworkratherthantheapprehensionofchildren.ThoseamendmentswilllikelybeintroducedinlegislatureinFebruary2015.Oneofthekeydirectivesoftheactionplanismodifyinghomeassessmenttodifferenti-atebetweensituationsofabuseandneglectwhenitcomestointervention.BecausemostchildprotectioncasesintheNWTareissuesofneglectratherthanabuseLangfordsaiditcanactuallybemoredamagingtoremovethosechildrenfromtheirhomes.Insteadhesaidmoreresourcesneedtobededicatedtofamilysupportdrawingfromotherdepart-mentalworkonaddictionstreatmentfortheparentsaswellastheanti-povertystrategyandearlychilddevelopment.Departmentofcialshavealsoindicatedtheyareopentoestablishingsolutionsoutsidetheparametersofchildprotectionwhereoneideaistocreatefamilypreservationwork-ersinthecommunitieswhocouldpoten-tiallybepartofanNGOorinteragencyandwhowouldbeabletoestablishcommunity-specicplans.ThedepartmentisalsoworkingtoimproveengagementwithAboriginalgovernmentsatthepoliticallevelwiththeintentofbegin-ningdiscussionsonhandingoverjurisdic-tionforchildandfamilyservicestothosewithself-government.ThereistheabilityforAboriginalgov-ernmentstodrawdownthatjurisdictionsaiddeputyministerDebbieDelanceywhonotedtalksarestartingwiththeTlichoGov-ernmentandpotentiallywithDelineandtheInuvialuitabitfurtherdowntheroad.SowehavetoworkonourpartnershipsifAb-originalgovernmentsaregoingtobelookingattakingalargerrole.RhetorichasntchangedHacheWhileMLAsanddepartmentofcialshaverepeatedlyaddressedtheneedtokeepchil-drenintheirhomesratherthaninfostercareHachesaidthepracticeisunlikelytochangeuntilcommunitiesfeeltheyareincharge.TheGNWThashadthesamerhetoricfor30or40years...Themantraofchildwel-farehasnotchangedsincetheSixtiesScoopHachesaidreferringtotheremovalofindig-enouschildrenfromtheirhomestobeplacedincareoradoptedintonon-indigenousfami-liesduringthe1960s.Themessageistheydontwanttodothisbuttheyredoingitforthebestinterestsofthosechildren.SowhatIsayisnomatterwhattheywanttheydotakechildrenaway.Whatevertheywantthatsnottranslatingintoevidence.Intentionsdontequalactionandtheroadtohellispavedwithgoodin-tentions.ThefactisbasedonthatmantraandthatrhetoricmostlyindigenouschildreninCanadahavebeentakenawayfromtheirfamiliesfordecades.ThatpracticehasnotonlyfailedtohelpfamiliesHachesaidbutexacerbatedexist-ingsocialissuesintheNorth.Anycontinu-ationofthesamepracticewillonlyfurtherescalatethesituationshesaid.Alloftheinterventionsofchildwelfareovertheyearshavenotbeenwithouttheirconsequences.Thepracticeofrobbingchil-drenintheNorthhasbroughtustowherewearetodayshesaid.StillHachebelievestheestablishmentofatruefamilysupportmodelforthefamiliesoftheNWTwithsuccessfulcommunitycon-trolispossible.Iamaneternaloptimistshesaid.ThemantraofchildwelfarehasnotchangedsincetheSixtiesScoop...ThefactisbasedonthatmantraandthatrhetoricmostlyindigenouschildreninCanadahavebeentakenawayfromtheirfamiliesfordecades.ArleneHacheArleneHacheofYellowknifehascontinuedonwithheradvocacyworkforparentsandchildrenintheNWTsinceretiringasdirectoroftheCentreforNorthernFamilies.