“A LONG WAIT FOR CHANGE – INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF CHILD PROTECTION SERVICES TO INUIT CHILDREN IN NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR”: RECOMMENDATIONS
Inuit children are struggling in the child protection system. When we began this Independent Review, there were 1,005 children in care in Newfoundland andLabrador. There were 345 Indigenous children, and 150 of these children. We began this Independent Review after receiving a formal request from Nunatsiavut Government to investigate Inuit children’s experiences in the child protection system. We reviewed the following programs:
- In Care
- Protective Intervention
- Placement Resources/Foster Homes
- Youth Services, and
- Kinship Care
We also conducted a literature review involving provincial, national and international content.ere Inuit. In our discussions, young people in care told us they miss home terribly, and fear losing their cultural connections and sense of Inuit identity. We repeatedly heard the significance of culture. This involves the importance of cultural continuity for the children, recognizes the value of traditional healing and treatment approaches, requires an understanding of Inuit ways of parenting, families and community, and speaks to cultural education being necessary for professionals.
Fundamental systemic change is needed in order to have better outcomes for Inuit children and their families. The good news is that many Inuit still believe that change is possible and that things can look and work differently if Inuit values, beliefs, and knowledge inform a new way of keeping children safe.
The Report presents 33 recommendations.
https://www.childandyouthadvocate.nl.ca/files/InuitReviewExecutiveSummaryEnglish.pdf
On June 2021 the Advocate issued the “Status Report on Recommendations: 2019-2020” including updates on the governments actions on implementing the recommendations from “A Long Wait for Change“:
- Implemented: 0
- Partially Implemented: 30
Not Implemented: 3
https://www.childandyouthadvocate.nl.ca/files/RecReport2019-20_June2021.pdf