METIS FOSTER PARENTS LOSE APPEAL - CHILD TO BE SHIPPED TO ONTARIO

Foster dad with Metis girl, photo courtesy of foster mom 

Recent news of Metis toddler - A British Columbia foster family has lost its fight in the province's highest court to keep a Metis toddler they have raised since birth. You should read this week's Times Colonist report that reveals that the B.C. foster parents will not give up. Perhaps you will share Ray Ferris' dismay which he expresses in the piece that follows. He has sent this letter to the Times Colonist. Ray is an author and advocate.

"Your Times Colonist report reminds us that the social workers want to rip this child from the only home she has known and place her with strangers in Ontario, regardless of the consequences. Not only does this fly in the face of common sense, but it ignores all knowledge of early childhood development and good social work practice. Such action also flouts the imperatives in the CF&CSA defining the best interests of children."

    

"The Act lists the following guidelines and rules.

1.Preservation of kinship ties and attachment to extended family are urged.

2.Cultural identity of aboriginal children should be protected.

3.Decisions on young children to be timely.

4. Continuity of care is important.

5. Quality of relationship with caregiver.

6. Child’s cultural, racial and religious heritage to be protected.

7. Where the child is aboriginal placement must be with extended family or in cultural community, or with another aboriginal family."

"Clearly, all these conditions are satisfied with the present Metis foster parents, who also wish to adopt. Courts have defined Metis people as aboriginal. There is a section that says that placement in the same home as siblings should be considered. The Act also states that all the best interests must be considered in context and that judgement must be used. Note that no one right is declared as paramount. However, the Ministry director continues to insist that sibling placement must supersede all other clauses. Obviously the time has long gone when this would have had any benefit and it is perverse to cling to it. The law allows him to do so without challenge."

"Children need to be stabilized in the first year of life. Otherwise they are prone to developing a range of anxiety disorders, which can scar for life. Unfortunately, the scantily trained unregistered social workers of the children's ministry seem to be blissfully ignorant of such knowledge."

From Ray Ferris 105-3900 Shelbourne St. Victoria. Phone 250 477 5723

My Previous GPS blog posts associated with this case are found at these links:

GPS: Metis Child Is In a Mess: Feb 15, 2016 ... She was not permitted to go to a Métis cultural event being held in her honour. Why would the Métis Federation hold an event to honour her?

‪GPS: METIS GIRL'S GOOD NEWS - FOR NOW: Mar 7, 2016 ... The good news is coming but first read the reprise of this situation. If you have been following the long running story of the two-year old Metis ..

GPS: Times Colonist Story about Metis Toddler: Jan 30, 2016 ... FOLLOWUP opinion by Ray Ferris, my advocacy colleague, an experienced ...

GPS: Emergency News of Little Metis Girl: Feb 27, 2016 ... If you have to look back a few posts that pertain to the metis child being taken from her foster parents who ...