Indigenous Caregivers of B.C. and Indigenous Perspectives Society: Centre of Excellence in Community Education (IPS) offers the following video resources to help provide information and guidance that may be helpful for foster caregivers, children, youth and families that are navigating the child welfare process.
ICOBC Caregiver Support Coordinator, April Reeve, featured in the videos below has over 20 years of professional and personal experience caring for and working with Indigenous children and youth in the child welfare system in B.C.
In this interview April tells Our Native Land host, Tchadas Leo, all about the Indigenous Caregivers of B.C. and what they are doing to better improve the foster care system for Indigenous youth:
In this video, April and Wayne explain the importance and significance of An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families. This historic Federal legislation affirms the jurisdiction of all Indigenous Peoples with regards to child and family services:
According to Census 2016, Indigenous children represent 52.2% of children in foster care in private homes in Canada, despite accounting for only 7.7% of the overall population of children under 15. In addition, the first five Calls to Action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada relate to child welfare, including Call to Action #4 which calls “upon the federal government to enact Aboriginal child-welfare legislation”.
Therefore, the adoption of Bill C-92 represents a new chapter in the history of Canada and its relationship with Indigenous children, youth and families. It is designed to improve the health and well-being of generations of Indigenous children and youth to come.
In this video Indigenous Perspectives Society Associate Director, Connie Martin, explains the key concepts of the new legislation: