ALCOHOL AND DRUG ADDICTION MAIN CHILD WELFARE THEMES

Like their counterparts across the province, aboriginal communities in the
Okanagan are looking at how the delivery of child welfare services should
change.

The Aboriginal Peoples Family Accord is working towards securing more input
for aboriginal people, including First Nations, urban aboriginal
communities and the Metis, concerning the health and safety of their
children and youth.

Currently, six APFA zone facilitators are gathering community feedback
which will form the first draft of a service plan. This document will be a
template for how services should change, including child protection, foster
care and youth justice.

"By far and away, the main theme of the focus groups is that the first area
we need to address is mental health which includes alcohol and drug
addictions," said Jim MacArthur, a zone facilitator.

"Mental health is really the foundation of rebuilding the rest. There's
grief and loss. For example, there are too many 13-year-olds who have been
to 10 funerals in their community. Grief also comes from other losses such
as moving from their community and dropping out of school."

To generate community input, MacArthur is facilitating an early childhood
development focus group Nov. 3, a youth justice focus group Nov. 7 and a
mental health focus group with the date to be announced.

He is also organizing two gatherings, through the Okanagan Nation Alliance,
Nov. 27 to 28 and Dec. 3 to 4.

MacArthur will also make presentations at a social workers conference Nov.
17 and at an Interior Health Authority conference Nov. 24 in Kelowna.

Other zone facilitators in the Interior have indicated a need to revisit
programs like youth justice with sentencing circles, making sure children
leaving care have the like skills necessary for entering adulthood and the
importance of elder's role.

"Communities are starting to imagine more culturally empowering and
holistic services and supporting these with increased community
responsibility," said Leslie Varley, APFA implementation manager.

"There is discussion about the need to decolonize and to move away from
punitive style programs, like taking children away from families, to
empowering programs which help families heal and build strength."