A war of words is underway between the Saskatoon Tribal Council and the Ministry of Social Services, after the province announced plans to take over STC’s on-reserve child welfare files.
A letter issued publicly by Minister of Social Services Donna Harpauer on Tuesday states that STC’s non-compliance with reporting practices relating to child welfare has led to a need for action “to ensure that Saskatchewan children receiving child protection services are properly cared for and protected” and “this decision was not taken lightly. It is not about politics, or jurisdiction. It is about the safety and well-being of vulnerable children, and that must be our primary concern.”
STC counters that claim in a statement issued on Wednesday morning, saying Social Service’s plan to take over child welfare and head to STC’s office to obtain child protection files “demonstrate that the province’s interest is not about the children but about the fact that they want ‘new’ agreements in order to subjugate or derogate First Nations’ authority.”
But Harpauer says her government’s record shows good relations with First nations, pointing to the 16 First Nations who have agreements in place for the province to monitor their Child and Family Services to make sure the same level of care is given across the board.
The STC news release states “Saskatoon Tribal Council Chiefs believe that jurisdiction and control over First Nations’ children and therefore the future of First Nations themselves is at the heart of the matter.”
Harpauer’s letter indicates that Social Services has tried to create a new agreement “for delivery of child welfare services on-reserve that includes standard accountability and reporting requirements” with STC, but “these attempts have not been successful.”
STC takes exception to that, stating it has consistently followed the Bilateral Accord on Child & Family Services which has been in place since 1996.
It’s worth noting that the province is only taking over control of STC’s on-reserve child welfare files, related to what the province calls non-compliance in reporting. Harpauer says its existing contracts for urban services with STC are being followed.
The logistics of how Social Services will approach the transition of care are still foggy, especially considering that the province is unsure of how many on-reserve children are in the care of STC’s CFS at present.
In a scrum on Tuesday, Harpauer said the Ministry will work with other agencies to avoid needlessly moving children who are in foster care on reserve, “if that’s a healthy foster family.”
It’s not only the province that has concerns about STC’s on-reserve CFS, she said.
“The federal government has concerns and there was a joint letter issued both from the province and the federal government expressing those concerns with the Saskatoon Tribal Council.”
That meeting did not take place, she said.
The Saskatoon Tribal Council has seven member nations within a 200-kilometre radius of Saskatoon.