CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM REFORM OVERDUE

Last Friday's Waterloo Region Record carried the following story titled "Very lives of these kids are on the line". Chief Perry Bellegarde stated that "It is simply not acceptable so many children are removed from their homes because of poverty noting that a system that rewards the apprehension of children must be changed because that is when money flows to agencies." Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett stated that the government is applying "every ounce of political muscle" to reform the child welfare system. She states that the problem has been that the federal government pay and the provinces and territories deliver. She added "I want to be accountable for the results, and that means we have to change the system.". This problem extends to more than just Canadian natives living in poverty. Children living in poverty are much more likely to be apprehended in Ontario whether or not they are of native heritage. Again the system and agencies are financially rewarded based upon how many children they have in custody including those seized against their and their parents' will. Afterall people in poverty can hardly afford to pay for lawyers to protect their and their childrens' rights.