Indigenous-led program unites families, diverts kids from child welfare system in 98% of cases

There was a moment in Cara Courchene's life when reuniting with her children seemed out of reach.

The child welfare system seemsstacked againstparents like her, but one Indigenous-led program has had remarkable success in trying to change that.

In 98 per cent of cases, the Family Group Conference program either reunited children with families who love them, or prevented a child from entering the child welfare system in the first place.

Courcheneis one success story. She credits her mentor throughtheprogram of never giving up on her.

"Whatstuck with me was the way my mentor would come and check up on me, and there was a lot of times where I felt completely alone, and she wasn't worried about who would be there or anything like that," said Courchene, amember of SagkeengFirst Nation who lives in Winnipeg.

"She would come just knock on my window or my door and say, 'Hey, are you hungry?' or 'You need someone to talk to?' and I think that's what helped me get through some of my hard times."

WATCH |Mothers praise Indigenous program reducing the number of kids in care:

The Family Group Conference program at Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre released a report on Monday that illustrates theprogram'ssuccess in reducing the number of Indigenous children in a child welfare system where Indigenous people are overrepresented.

Hundreds of children removed from welfare system

Over the course of three years, 655 children took part in the FGC process. More than a third of the children (263) are living with their families and another 139 werewaiting to return home, as of March 2020. The program also diverted 141 children from ever becoming a ward of the province.

Some families hadn't completed the program when the statistics were tallied, but the evaluation found FGC had a consistently high 98 per cent success rate in family reunification and diverting families from becoming involved withChild and Family Services.

Having all of those childrenliving with their familiesand in theirhome communitieswould reduce governmentfoster care costs by $15 million annually,according to an Indigenous-based evaluationof the program from 2017 to 2020.

Diane Redsky, executive director of Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, an Indigenousfamily resource organization, said the glowing review backs up what she already knows.

"Wehave been saying to everybody, since the birth of theMa Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centrein 1984, that investing into Indigenous-ledstrategies to care for our own and to ensure that our families are on the path of healing fromcolonization, generally speaking, that there's power in that and those are where the solutions lie."

The Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre has facilitated the FGC program for more than 20 years, butin 2017the Winnipeg Foundation,provincial and federal governments committed $2.5 million totriple the number of eligible families over a three-year period.

The centre sought out an Indigenous-led evaluation to ensure the program was meeting its goals.

The report's findings "highlight theimportant ways that the program works as an antidote to many of the vulnerabilities that colonial systems have created and perpetuate.

"By supporting the rebuilding of the 'family'and its relationships and structure, the program works to celebrate Indigenous ways of knowing and Indigenous sources of strength and safety," it reads.

Families can be referred to the program, which typically lasts one week to three months, through CFS agencies, Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata and others in the community. It typically takes between three to five months from referral to resolution.

Support for parents

At a news conference Monday, Courcheneand two other parents shared how the program helped them.

Marina Coatessaid she was used to livingand struggling with her addictionalone, but the FGCchangedher approach.

"On my 30th birthday I got my son back for good, my file was closed," she said, pausing as the audience clapped for her, "and right now I'm currently working two jobsI haven't had a job in about seven years prior," she said.

"They gave me my life back, helped me keep my son back, and thisdefinitely is my village."

Randi Thomas saidhis mentor would sometimes provide groceries for the family or encourage them to attend family events at Ma MawiWi Chi Itatacentre.

"To be honest, I think it opened a lot more doors for me."

Redskysaid in an interview she believes the evaluation of the programis "promising news" that shows how child welfare systemsshould operate: CFSagencies should work with community organizations "to build that circle of support around families."

Not only does the program keepkids out of care, but when kids do have to go into care, itreducesthe number of days they stay there, Redsky said.

"So this is a model where everybody wins, and it's a model rooted in Indigenous values where the family and the community is involved in the care and protection of children."

Before becoming a mother, Courchene, whospent time in the foster care system growing up, said she was trying to juggle two lives: her family life and her party life.

"Obviously, the drugs took over," so her children were removed,the 36-year-oldsaid.

She was referred to the FGC program while her kids were at a foster home run by Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre.

She said her mentor made her feel like a member of the family.

"They don't leave you, even when you'reat your worst like I was,they saw me in situations where I had a black eye, or I was fighting, or I was in psychosis from drug use.

"They never gave up on me and that's what I loved about them."

Courcheneeventually went into detox and hasbeen sober since 2019.

Becoming a family support worker

She said staff with theFGC program actas a support for parents whose children are in the welfare system, including in their interactions with their family's CFS case worker.

Her FGC mentor "actually cared about us coming home, and I never had that with a social worker."

Inspired by the help she received, Courchene isfinishing her schooling to become a familysupport worker. She wants to help people like herrealize they can walk away from theiraddictions and get their childrenback.

The report recommends the program be provided with sustainable funding to support the growing demand.

Redskywould like to see the program becomesuch a normalized part of the child welfare system in Manitoba that it becomes entrenched in legislation, which happened with a similar program in New Zealand.

Families Minister Rochelle Squires told the news conference the provincewill have discussions with theMa Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre about next steps so we can "capture this wonderful success and see it spread and grow."

Indigenous-led program unites families

2 years ago

Duration 3:43

The child welfare system can seem stacked against parents.But an Indigenous-run program at the Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre succeeds 98 per cent of the time. It either reunites kids with their family, or prevents kids from entering foster care. Cara Courchene's children are with her again because of the program. She says the mentor had a life changing impact.