LilMtnCbn
05-19-2004, 06:24 AM
http://canadaeast.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040518/CPN/45820026
Aboriginals press government for promised control of adoption services
DIRK MEISSNER
VICTORIA (CP) - Native adoption advocates are blaming the B.C. Liberal
government and a public service union for delays in fulfilling promises of
aboriginal-run child welfare and adoption services.
Aboriginals are ready to assume full jurisdictional control of the child
welfare and adoption needs of their children, but the promised transition is
slow, Ruth Lyall, spokeswoman for a social service agency called Surrounded by
Cedar Child and Family Services, said Tuesday.
"About a decade ago the ministry argued the aboriginal communities did not have
the capacity to staff aboriginal agencies," said Lyall during a protest over
the issue attended by 200 people in Victoria.
"It's no longer the case."
It appears government funding and union issues are holding back the transition,
she said.
It could take up to two years before aboriginals gain full control of their own
child and welfare services, said Christy Clark, children and family development
minister, last month.
"We are in the process of concluding 131 delegation agreements across the
province out of about 200," Clark said Tuesday.
"But we've run into some bumps in the road with negotiations."
She said the government and the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union,
which represents social workers, have not been able to agree on staffing
arrangements for the proposed aboriginal agencies because the aboriginal groups
want to be able to hire aboriginal employees.
"We are talking with these folks about how we are going to deal with collective
agreements," Clark said.
"A big issue has been that they would like the ministry to just transfer the
positions with no staff attached to them. Our collective agreement doesn't
allow us to do that."
Union president George Heyman said his members support the goals of groups like
Lyall's, but wants the government to ensure it doesn't use aboriginal child
services as a way to cut current staff.
"The BCGEU has never questioned the plan to return responsibility for
aboriginal children to aboriginal communities," he said.
"It's the right thing to do and we've said so since it was first proposed."
Heyman said the union hasn't been directly involved in talks between the
government and the aboriginals.
Lyall said her organization is ready to assume responsibility for 138
Victoria-area aboriginal children currently in the care of the Ministry of
Children and Family Development.
The organization "has been prepared to open the door and accept files since
December 2002," said Lyall.
"We've been sitting at the table since 1992. It's been almost 12 years now."
Premier Gordon Campbell's government signed a memorandum agreement after being
elected in May 2001 with B.C. aboriginals.
It said the government would ensure aboriginals receive jurisdictional control
over adoption and needs issues involving their children.
Almost 50 per cent of the estimated 9,000 children currently in B.C. government
care are aboriginal.
-------------------------
A good friend will come and bail you out of jail . . . but, a true friend will
be sitting next to you saying, "Damn . . . that was fun!"
-----Unknown
Aboriginals press government for promised control of adoption services
DIRK MEISSNER
VICTORIA (CP) - Native adoption advocates are blaming the B.C. Liberal
government and a public service union for delays in fulfilling promises of
aboriginal-run child welfare and adoption services.
Aboriginals are ready to assume full jurisdictional control of the child
welfare and adoption needs of their children, but the promised transition is
slow, Ruth Lyall, spokeswoman for a social service agency called Surrounded by
Cedar Child and Family Services, said Tuesday.
"About a decade ago the ministry argued the aboriginal communities did not have
the capacity to staff aboriginal agencies," said Lyall during a protest over
the issue attended by 200 people in Victoria.
"It's no longer the case."
It appears government funding and union issues are holding back the transition,
she said.
It could take up to two years before aboriginals gain full control of their own
child and welfare services, said Christy Clark, children and family development
minister, last month.
"We are in the process of concluding 131 delegation agreements across the
province out of about 200," Clark said Tuesday.
"But we've run into some bumps in the road with negotiations."
She said the government and the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union,
which represents social workers, have not been able to agree on staffing
arrangements for the proposed aboriginal agencies because the aboriginal groups
want to be able to hire aboriginal employees.
"We are talking with these folks about how we are going to deal with collective
agreements," Clark said.
"A big issue has been that they would like the ministry to just transfer the
positions with no staff attached to them. Our collective agreement doesn't
allow us to do that."
Union president George Heyman said his members support the goals of groups like
Lyall's, but wants the government to ensure it doesn't use aboriginal child
services as a way to cut current staff.
"The BCGEU has never questioned the plan to return responsibility for
aboriginal children to aboriginal communities," he said.
"It's the right thing to do and we've said so since it was first proposed."
Heyman said the union hasn't been directly involved in talks between the
government and the aboriginals.
Lyall said her organization is ready to assume responsibility for 138
Victoria-area aboriginal children currently in the care of the Ministry of
Children and Family Development.
The organization "has been prepared to open the door and accept files since
December 2002," said Lyall.
"We've been sitting at the table since 1992. It's been almost 12 years now."
Premier Gordon Campbell's government signed a memorandum agreement after being
elected in May 2001 with B.C. aboriginals.
It said the government would ensure aboriginals receive jurisdictional control
over adoption and needs issues involving their children.
Almost 50 per cent of the estimated 9,000 children currently in B.C. government
care are aboriginal.
-------------------------
A good friend will come and bail you out of jail . . . but, a true friend will
be sitting next to you saying, "Damn . . . that was fun!"
-----Unknown
