She was stabbed repeatedly in her home in Yellowknife, allegedly by her estranged partner, while her children watched.

By the time she arrived at Stanton Territorial Hospital, the young mother says the NWT Health and Social Services Authority was already trying to take her kids away.

SA国际影视传媒淚 felt like I was criminalized just for being a victim,SA国际影视传媒� the mother of three young children told Yellowknifer in a recent interview.

The womanSA国际影视传媒檚 identity is protected under the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 Child and Family Services Act.

Yellowknifer will refer to her as Alice for the purpose of this story. AliceSA国际影视传媒檚 former partner is accused in the alleged attack. The charges against him have not been proven in court.

Alice says the apprehension attempts were without grounds. She alleges her ex broke into her home, and says that if the health authority had done a proper investigation, they would have known the pair had been living separately for months. Alice doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 have a criminal record.

After resisting three apprehension attempts from social workers in the 24 hours following the attack, Alice says she agreed to sign a voluntary service agreement with the authority - while at a shelter in Yellowknife - only to be left SA国际影视传媒渉omelessSA国际影视传媒� and helpless in Alberta, bouncing from one shelter to another, under the care of the NWT health authority.

Voluntary service agreements are offered in cases where SA国际影视传媒渁pprehension can be avoided,SA国际影视传媒� according to the authoritySA国际影视传媒檚 child and family services standards and procedure manual. In AliceSA国际影视传媒檚 case, the agreement, reviewed by Yellowknifer, ensured she wouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 be separated from her children, and held the health authority to SA国际影视传媒減rovide return flights for the family from Yellowknife to Alberta SA国际影视传媒� so that (Alice and her family) can access emergency shelter and therapeutic supports related to trauma and PTSD due to being at extreme risk for their safety.SA国际影视传媒�

Over the next six weeks, after entering into what was to be a six-month plan, Alice says she and her children received SA国际影视传媒渮eroSA国际影视传媒� of the promised trauma treatment. Instead, she alleges abuse, discrimination and dysfunction, all under the watch of the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 health authority.

SA国际影视传媒楤lood all over the floorSA国际影视传媒�

Under the agreement, Alice says she and her kids were sent to what her assigned social worker said would be a long-term shelter in Strathmore, Alta. But staff at the shelter quickly told her otherwise, she says, informing her it was a 21-day program. Alice says the health authority didnSA国际影视传媒檛 follow through with shelter staff to ensure there was long-term availability.

It only got worse from there, she says.

SA国际影视传媒淲e were placed into a room that had blood all over the floor; blood all over the walls. My toddler consumed one of the blood (clumps on the floor) and we ended up at the Strathmore hospital within the first 24-hours of (the NWT health authority's) care,SA国际影视传媒� said Alice.

Her toddler, who is less than two years old, is now being testing for HIV for the next six months, she said.

The health authority apologized and moved her family to a second shelter in Calgary, where she says one of her children, who has special needs, ran away twice under staff care. On one occasion, she alleges staff SA国际影视传媒渇orciblySA国际影视传媒� dragged her son across the floor.

At one point, Alice says staff at the Calgary shelter tried to SA国际影视传媒渕ove us to a reservation, just based off the fact weSA国际影视传媒檙e native,SA国际影视传媒� one of many damaging assumptions made during the ordeal, she said.

SA国际影视传媒楬omeless in Calgary in the middle of winterSA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淵et again,SA国际影视传媒� Alice says her family was moved to another shelter, where her special needs child was SA国际影视传媒渁ssaultedSA国际影视传媒� on the SA国际影视传媒渧ery first day.SA国际影视传媒� Alice says she has requested video footage of the alleged incident. So far, she hasnSA国际影视传媒檛 received any. SA国际影视传媒淭heySA国际影视传媒檙e definitely hiding a lot,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

Then, after running out of shelters to go to, Alice says her family was sent to live in a hotel. At that point, she says the health authority effectively SA国际影视传媒減assed the buckSA国际影视传媒� to social services in Alberta without her consent.

Alice says she gave the NWT health authority written notice of her intent to cancel the voluntarily agreement because it wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 being fulfilled. Over the course of five weeks, she says her children were never schooled.

Shortly after, Alice says her social workerSA国际影视传媒檚 supervisor cancelled the payment for her hotel, leaving her unable to access her hotel room, where all her familySA国际影视传媒檚 belongings were.

SA国际影视传媒淭hey basically just left me and my kids homeless in Calgary in the middle of the winter,SA国际影视传媒� said Alice. 

She had to SA国际影视传媒渟pend the whole day calling SA国际影视传媒� the minister of health (Glen AbernethySA国际影视传媒檚) assistantSA国际影视传媒� to get back in her hotel room.

Alice said the health authority agreed to pay for the hotel and reimburse her for food, SA国际影视传媒渙nly after they left us homeless.SA国际影视传媒�

All in all, she says her family lived in seven different places under the SA国际影视传媒済uidanceSA国际影视传媒� of the NWT Health and Social Services Authority. The constant moving put a strain her special needs child, who needs routine and structure, while worsening the pain from her barely-healed stab wounds, said Alice.

The woman's story comes six months after a damning report from the Auditor General of Canada -- the second in four years -- that found "serious deficiencies" with child and family services in the territory.

The report found that 63 per cent of children had been placed in care without basic safety checks, while only 11 per cent of foster homes had underwent an annual review.

Abernethy was forced to endure a confidence vote in the legislative assembly over the report's findings.

Mulling legal action

Now, Alice is considering legal action against the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 health and social services authority, but sheSA国际影视传媒檚 still undecided. She says she doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 want her voice to be buried by a lawsuit settlement when her story is SA国际影视传媒渟omething that needs to be heard.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淚 donSA国际影视传媒檛 think itSA国际影视传媒檚 appropriate for them to be victimizing women that have been victims of crime and treating us like we are the ones to blame for things that could have been avoided,SA国际影视传媒� said Alice.

Yellowknifer sent a list of questions to the health authority concerning the allegations raised by Alice late Thursday but is still waiting for an official response. 

She wants to make sure SA国际影视传媒渙ther mothers donSA国际影视传媒檛 go throughSA国际影视传媒� the same experience.

Alice says she witnessed children being apprehended from other young Indigenous mothers during her stay at the shelters.

SA国际影视传媒淚f I wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 educated, my kids wouldn't be with me right now.SA国际影视传媒�