“Empty Spaces – Caring Connections – The Experiences of Children and Youth in Yukon Group Care“
This Review highlights the views and rights of 94 children and youth who lived in Group Care from April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2018.
Government of Yukon legislation, policies and strategies mandate the importance of cultural development for children and youth and meaningful participation from First Nations governments. The TRC Calls to Action and UNDRIP further direct the importance of culture for Indigenous children and youth.Throughout the review we acknowledge the traumatic history of the Yukon, which impacted all 14 First Nations, their citizens and their communities. The legacy of colonialism, manifested in Residential Schools and the 60’s Scoop harmfully impacted parenting capacity. Outcomes include substance misuse, loss of identity and difficulty forming meaningful relations due to lack of attachments to biological family and traumas experienced in Residential School and in the child welfare system.
Of the 94 children that lived in Group Care during the Review Period, 59 (63%) had files at the YCAO, 69 (79%) children were identified as Indigenous, and 53 (61%) children were citizens or eligible to be citizens of a Yukon First Nation.This Review explores numerous areas of Group Care. Four key themes emerged during this review, and the findings in this document all relate in some way to one of these themes:
- Relationships: Safety, Loss and Caring Connections
- Cultural Identity
- Case Planning
- Leaving Group Care
The 31 recommendations are presented in the following categories:
- Stepping Stones for Change (1-2)
- Caring Connections and Community Anchors (3-7)
- Cultural Identity (8-15)
- Caring Connections and Community Anchors (16-26)
- Group Care through a Child Rights Lens
https://www.docdroid.net/d48O4G4/190509ycao-2019-sr-eng-06-fnl-may-08-pdf#page=117