Cameron Eager To Begin Child Welfare Review

Cameron Eager To Begin Child Welfare Review

Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 12:38

The ceremonial keeper of the Beardy’s and Okemasis First Nation is eager to provide a First Nations perspective to the province’s child welfare review panel.

Howard Cameron was amongst those named to the panel yesterday.

Cameron believes the high number of Aboriginal children in the child welfare system will be the biggest issue the panel will face.

“(Uncovering) the reason why they’re in care, and how to reunite that family unit back together, is going to take up a lot of the discussion (between the panel and the communities they are reaching out to), and ultimately at the end of the day what kind of recommendation we can come up with that’s going to make it work,” he says.

Consultations with First Nations and Metis organizations and other child welfare stakeholders will take place this spring.

The panel’s non-binding recommendations will be handed to the government this fall.