REACTION,

UCP’s Nixon criticizes NDP strategy for falling short on accountability

Indigenous rights activists say they’re hopeful the province’s new child welfare strategy leads to fewer children being taken from their families.

The NDP government released its four-year plan to fix the provincial child intervention system on Thursday. The strategy details 39 actions, including increased funding for kinship providers, an improved process for assessing potential caregivers and pushing the federal government to meet its funding obligations.

The strategy is based on recommendations created by an all-party panel formed in response to the 2014 death of four-year-old Cree girl Serenity, who died while in kinship care.

About 70 per cent of the kids in care in Alberta are Indigenous, as are more than half the children who have died while receiving government services.

“I’m always hopeful and optimistic that things are going to change, but history has proven that they haven’t,” said Donald Langford, executive director of Métis Child and Family Services, after reviewing the government’s plan.

Langford said for years he’s seen well-meaning promises and initiatives, but there needs to be action to decrease the removal of kids from homes and communities.

“We need to start putting those families back together,” he said.

Indigenous rights activist Muriel Stanley Venne said Thursday the number of children apprehended by the province is a “tragedy,” but she is happy to see changes to improve the kinship care system, which places children with extended family rather than a foster home. The government is planning to equalize funding received by foster and kinship care homes, as well as offer increased supports to kinship families.

“I’m very glad they ’ve examined what’s wrong and are attempting to do the right thing rather than perpetuate a bad system,” she said.

Politicians from across party lines who served on the panel that made recommendations got their first look at the plan Thursday.

United Conservative Party MLA Jason Nixon said he is concerned about the “vague” mention of accountability for children’s safety, which he thinks was the issue Albertans were most concerned with after Serenity’s death.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think, from what I’ve read so far, that they’ve been able to get there, and it falls short of the mark on that issue,” he said.

Alberta Party MLA Greg Clark said he was pleased to see the plan take into account the feedback from Indigenous communities

“Having said that, I’m going to keep watching closely throughout the implementation to make sure, first and foremost, that kids are kept safe,” Clark said.

Liberal MLA David Swann said he thinks the plan is headed in the right direction, and now it’s a matter of securing the required funding and ensuring change happens.

Children’s Services Minister Danielle Larivee said Thursday her government will follow through on the actions, which is why 16 are planned to be completed by spring.