On Jan. 30, Health Minister Diane Thom, along with officials from the Department of Health and Social Services, sat down with Foster Family Coalition of the NWT board members for a long-awaited discussion about the territory's beleaguered and SA国际影视传媒渋n crisisSA国际影视传媒� child welfare system.
The meeting SA国际影视传媒� hastened by a host of horror story headlines from whistleblowing foster caregivers and adoptive parents, fed up and frustrated with an unsupportive, overburdened and deeply flawed system SA国际影视传媒� was SA国际影视传媒減roductive,SA国际影视传媒� and SA国际影视传媒減ositive,SA国际影视传媒� according to a joint statement that followed.
Both sides, emphasizing the need for improved communication across the board, seemed to find some common ground.
That may have been shaken following last weekSA国际影视传媒檚 budget announcement, however.
Unveiled on Feb. 25, the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 new $1.9 billion budget does not include any major investments for its troubled child and welfare system -- just $280,000 from the previous year.
The modest boost isnSA国际影视传媒檛 sitting well with Dawn Pottinger, president of the foster family coalition board.
SA国际影视传媒淭he (foster family coalition) is very disappointed to hear the territorial government did not commit to any significant funding increases to address the Auditor GeneralSA国际影视传媒檚 report and the concerns raised by foster caregivers about the foster care system in the NWT,SA国际影视传媒� wrote Pottinger in a recent statement.
CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 auditor general released a scathing 2018 review of the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 Child and Family Services system, highlighting glaring gaps in key service areas that had only worsened since the last damning report, issued four years earlier. Routine background checks often werenSA国际影视传媒檛 completed, and health authorities regularly failed to meet supervision requirements.
Despite PottingerSA国际影视传媒檚 disappointment with a lack of significant funding in a much-needed area, the coalition remains committed to working in a SA国际影视传媒減artnership with the government to make improvements to the system,SA国际影视传媒� according to the statement.
SA国际影视传媒淲e will continue to move forward in a very respectful and professional manner,SA国际影视传媒� stated Pottinger.
But Pottinger and the coalition are taking exception to comments made by Premier Caroline Cochrane during a recent sitting at the legislative assembly.
On Feb. 26, Cochrane addressed a question from Frame Lake MLA Kevin O'Reilly about the potential for adding a child and youth advocate in the territory SA国际影视传媒� an issue that was brought up at CochraneSA国际影视传媒檚 Range Lake constituency meeting in late January. Several foster caregivers confronted Cochrane at the meeting, pressing the premier on how she plans to alleviate and improve the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 ailling child welfare system.
The foster family coalition has previously called for the position of a child and youth advocate to be implemented in the NWT. The territory is the only jurisdiction in Canada without a child and youth advocate.
SA国际影视传媒淚 had a constituency meeting,SA国际影视传媒� Cochrane told O'Reilly last week.
SA国际影视传媒淎nd I believe that there were foster parents who were actually told to come to my constituency meeting,SA国际影视传媒� said the premier.
SA国际影视传媒淲e are very perplexed by the comments,SA国际影视传媒� wrote Pottinger.
SA国际影视传媒淥ur foster caregivers are strong people and would have walked away a long time ago if they werenSA国际影视传媒檛. They know what they want and what they need and I can assure the premier they cannot be 'told' what to do,SA国际影视传媒� stated Pottinger.
SA国际影视传媒淭he comments made in the House were undermining and insulting to our caregivers, people who are already unsupported and stressed to the maximum,SA国际影视传媒� continued Pottinger.
She added foster caregivers attended other consistency meetings that night, not just CochraneSA国际影视传媒檚.
Premier defends comments
SA国际影视传媒 asked Cochrane what she meant when she said foster caregivers had been SA国际影视传媒渢oldSA国际影视传媒� to attend her constituency meeting.
SA国际影视传媒淎 number of people who identified themselves as foster parents and who were not residents of the Range Lake constituency attended the constituency meeting, and I expect that this reflected some amount of planning and organization,SA国际影视传媒� the premier stated in an email.
SA国际影视传媒淚 welcomed the opportunity to hear directly from NWT foster parents about their concerns, and I continue to value and respect them as critical partners with the GNWT in providing NWT kids with the care and support they need during what are often challenging times for them,SA国际影视传媒� continued Cochrane.
Pottinger says the coalition remains committed to working with the government.
SA国际影视传媒淥ur childrenSA国际影视传媒檚 future depends on it,SA国际影视传媒� she wrote.
