FSIN Taking Hard Look At Child Welfare Guidelines

FSIN Taking Hard Look At Child Welfare Guidelines

Friday, June 06, 2008 at 15:08

 

 

The FSIN Child and Family Services Act is under revision.

 

Senator Sol Sanderson is on the committee working on the act, and he brought an update on it to yesterday’s session of the FSIN legislative assembly in Saskatoon.

 

He says the current system of child intervention being done through provincial courts doesn’t work, and that there needs to be a court tribunal system under First Nations law and jurisdiction.

 

According to Sanderson, “What we’re doing now is the same thing we accused the non-Indians of doing –- we’re removing the children from the home and the community”.

 

He says one of the key provisions calls for removal of the parents so the children can stay in their own home.

 

Sanderson says the child would be supervised by extended family.

 

He says it is important the child is not made a victim by being forced to leave his or her home or community.

 

The act is still in preliminary form, and not ready to be presented as a resolution or ratified.