On Jan. 30, Health Minister Diane Thom, along with officials from the Department of Health and Social Services, sat down with Foster Family Coalition of the NWT board members for a long-awaited discussion about the territory's beleaguered and “in crisis” child welfare system.
The meeting — hastened by a host of horror story headlines from whistleblowing foster caregivers and adoptive parents, fed up and frustrated with an unsupportive, overburdened and deeply flawed system — was “productive,” and “positive,” according to a joint statement that followed.
Both sides, emphasizing the need for improved communication across the board, seemed to find some common ground.
That may have been shaken following last week’s budget announcement, however.
Unveiled on Feb. 25, the territory’s new $1.9 billion budget does not include any major investments for its troubled child and welfare system -- just $280,000 from the previous year.
The modest boost isn’t sitting well with Dawn Pottinger, president of the foster family coalition board.
“The (foster family coalition) is very disappointed to hear the territorial government did not commit to any significant funding increases to address the Auditor General’s report and the concerns raised by foster caregivers about the foster care system in the NWT,” wrote Pottinger in a recent statement.
Canada’s auditor general released a scathing 2018 review of the territory’s Child and Family Services system, highlighting glaring gaps in key service areas that had only worsened since the last damning report, issued four years earlier. Routine background checks often weren’t completed, and health authorities regularly failed to meet supervision requirements.
Despite Pottinger’s disappointment with a lack of significant funding in a much-needed area, the coalition remains committed to working in a “partnership with the government to make improvements to the system,” according to the statement.
“We will continue to move forward in a very respectful and professional manner,” stated Pottinger.
But Pottinger and the coalition are taking exception to comments made by Premier Caroline Cochrane during a recent sitting at the legislative assembly.
On Feb. 26, Cochrane addressed a question from Frame Lake MLA Kevin O'Reilly about the potential for adding a child and youth advocate in the territory — an issue that was brought up at Cochrane’s Range Lake constituency meeting in late January. Several foster caregivers confronted Cochrane at the meeting, pressing the premier on how she plans to alleviate and improve the territory’s ailling child welfare system.
The foster family coalition has previously called for the position of a child and youth advocate to be implemented in the NWT. The territory is the only jurisdiction in Canada without a child and youth advocate.
“I had a constituency meeting,” Cochrane told O'Reilly last week.
“And I believe that there were foster parents who were actually told to come to my constituency meeting,” said the premier.
“We are very perplexed by the comments,” wrote Pottinger.
“Our foster caregivers are strong people and would have walked away a long time ago if they weren’t. They know what they want and what they need and I can assure the premier they cannot be 'told' what to do,” stated Pottinger.
“The comments made in the House were undermining and insulting to our caregivers, people who are already unsupported and stressed to the maximum,” continued Pottinger.
She added foster caregivers attended other consistency meetings that night, not just Cochrane’s.
Premier defends comments
NNSL Media asked Cochrane what she meant when she said foster caregivers had been “told” to attend her constituency meeting.
“A number of people who identified themselves as foster parents and who were not residents of the Range Lake constituency attended the constituency meeting, and I expect that this reflected some amount of planning and organization,” the premier stated in an email.
“I welcomed the opportunity to hear directly from NWT foster parents about their concerns, and I continue to value and respect them as critical partners with the GNWT in providing NWT kids with the care and support they need during what are often challenging times for them,” continued Cochrane.
Pottinger says the coalition remains committed to working with the government.
“Our children’s future depends on it,” she wrote.