It’s a legal amendment that Cynthia Broadfoot believes would have changed her family’s life.
In the mid-1990s, Broadfoot reached out to Manitoba Child and Family Services (CFS) asking for help. She said she was experiencing significant hardships and mental health struggles at the time.
Her children ended up being placed under CFS care. It was unclear when they’d return home.
“I had individuals, people in power, and professionals who had confidence in my parenting. I just needed a little bit of support,” she said. “Our family would’ve had a lot of support and input, and they may have only been in the system a year or two, had I had what we have now.”
On Oct. 1, the Manitoba Government amended the Child and Family Services Act to introduce four new agreement types: family support, customary, kinship and voluntary care.
The province formally unveiled the amendments at a news conference Friday.
“We are empowering family members, Indigenous nations, community and kin, while ensuring the child welfare system works with parents who need additional support, better meeting the needs of both Manitoba children and families,” said Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine.
Fontaine said the hope is fewer children in care and more parents playing active roles in their children’s lives.
Four new agreements
The kinship care agreement involves placing children with family or close kin. Customary care focuses on keeping children connected to their culture and community.
Voluntary care allows parents to place their children under CFS care temporarily. With the help of an agency, the family support stream connects families to resources and financial assistance.
Vera Mitchell, chief of Poplar River First Nation, supports the amendments. At the same time, she said First Nations must be given full jurisdiction over child welfare matters.
“People always reference Indigenous child welfare agencies but they’re not, they belong to the province,” Mitchell said. “The announcements that were made are things that we’ve always done with our families, and it’s not something new. Like, customary care is not something new, and support for families is nothing new. The only thing that’s attached to it is funding to help to facilitate those resources.”
In May, Manitoba signed a declaration vowing to transfer child welfare jurisdiction to First Nations.
The province has also dedicated approximately $10 million to Indigenous agencies to support customary and kinship care.
