Provinces feeling left out of child welfare reform: Saskatchewan minister

By The Canadian Press

SASKATOON — Saskatchewan’s Minister of Social Services says he and his provincial and territorial counterparts are feeling left out of Ottawa’s plan to reform child welfare.

Paul Merriman and other social services ministers met in Saskatoon this week to discuss Bill C-92, legislation aimed at reducing the over-representation of Indigenous children in foster care.

Merriman says it’s concerning they were unable to speak directly with federal Minister of Indigenous Services Seamus O’Regan without representatives from national Indigenous organizations in the room.

Merriman says he is concerned about the implementation of the legislation, as well as its timing and what funding will be attached.

He believes there are many unknowns, such as what will happen to the province’s existing agreements with First Nations that are delivering child and family services.

Merriman says when it comes to the bill, Ottawa is focusing on what’s gone wrong with provincial child welfare, like the Sixties Scoop, and not factoring in improvements made since.

The Federation of Soverign Indigenous Nations has called Saskatchewan’s child care situation a crisis.

 

 

 

The Canadian Press

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