Indigenous communities know best how to care for their children

Lii Michif Otipemisiwak Family and Community Services has been delegated authority for child-protection services for Métis families in the Kamloops area.

“We are committed to keeping children out of government care and returning them to their families, their communities and their culture,” said Katrine Conroy, B.C.’s minister of Children and Family Development.

“Transferring authority for Métis children and family services to the Lii Michif Otipemisiwak is a great way to mark Métis Day and one of the ways we can act on our commitment to true and meaningful reconciliation,” reads a press statement from the ministry on Nov. 18.

“Indigenous and Métis communities know best how to take care of their children. We’re working collaboratively and respectfully with Indigenous and Métis agencies and communities to ensure they have the right tools, funding and support to make a difference for the children and families they serve.”

Colleen Lucier, executive director of Lii Michif Otipemisiwak Family and Community Services, said reclaiming the responsibility has been a priority for the healing of Métis families, and said it would strengthen Métis communities and the Métis Nation.

“We are honoured to be part of this positive change, and confident that with the teachings of our ancestors, and with the guidance and support of Elders and Métis leadership, we will improve outcomes for our Métis children, youth and families.”

There are three levels of delegation, increasing in authority from voluntary services to full child-protection services, which includes investigation of child-protection concerns. The authority transferred to the Lii Michif Otipemisiwak is the highest level of delegation, allowing delivery of all the services that the ministry would offer– from family supports to developing foster homes, to providing services for children moving out of care, to child-protection investigations and enforcement.

“Reconciliation requires fundamental changes to the Crown-Indigenous relationship,” said Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation—Scott Fraser. “Providing supports to delegated agencies to care for Indigenous children and families is one concrete way toward changing that relationship.”

The province now has 24 Delegated Aboriginal Agencies providing a range of services to Indigenous children and families that currently serve approximately 43 per cent of the Indigenous children in care in B.C.

As of Oct. 31, there were 4,310 Indigenous children in care in the province, of which 581 are Métis. Indigenous delegated agencies currently serve 1,979 Indigenous children, of which 187 are Métis.