SaskParty Government Reviewing ICFS Agencies
Monday, March 03, 2008 at 14:03
Child and family services agencies on Saskatchewan reserves can expect to get a phone call from the province’s Social Services minister, if they haven’t already.
Donna Harpauer says she would like a little more information from on-reserve child welfare agencies about how many children they have in care.
Harpauer says not enough communication is taking place between the provincial government and First Nations when it comes to that issue.
She says she intends to hammer out agreements with all 18 on-reserve agencies in the province, so that everyone is on the same page and children don’t fall through the cracks.
Harpauer insists the Saskatchewan Party government is committed to ensuring that all childred in the province receive the same level of care, whether they’re Aboriginal or not.
The minister adds she is in the process of negotiating agreements with all of Saskatchewan’s ICFS agencies that lays out what the government is after — including a clear understanding of who is ultimately accountable for the welfare of the child.
She says some agencies have already signed agreements, while others are resisting.