The story of Tina Fontaine is still today in 2019 the SADDEST reality of many children and youth in the Canadian foster care system. The CBC documentary below shows how the people assigned to serve and help particularly the most vulnerable, children, failed to help Tina Fontaine again and again.

Although First Nations children represent only 7% of all children in Canada and 6% of all youth in Canada according to Stats Canada, there are over-represented in the child-welfare system.

Many of these kids still fall victims of the remains of the genocidal system that was designed to exterminate their people and their culture. Today, such discrimination in accessing services is experienced over and over and over again by the most vulnerable, the "homeless children" under goverment care, who have no voice and no advocate when they need help the most. Where are everyone, when they need help?

Change will not come if Canadians keep thinking this is just someone else problem. What part can you play? Here are just a few things we can all start with, including questioning how safe our police officers, social workers, hospital staff, school teachers, politicians, goverment workers, faith leaders and neighbors are for all the children and how much interest they have for the most vulnerable of them, the children without voices. 

 

• Elections are coming soon, ask your political parties what their plans are on this issue and hold them accountable.

 

• Educate yourself on what your local government/ community is doing about reforming the Canadian child welfare system. 

 

• Reach out to indigenous community organizations to show support and learn more about opportunities to learn the stories, strenghts, and struggles of their children and families.  

 

• Become an ally, get familiar with the indigenous ally toolkit, a resource developed by the Montreal Urban Aboriginal Community Strategy Network. Save the pdf in English goo.gl/tLxX9u or in French goo.gl/XHWgqN

 

For more details about the story of Tina Fontaine through the Canadian Child-welfare system and recommendations by the Children Advocate of Manitoba, please copy this link: https://manitobaadvocate.ca/wp-content/uploads/MACY-Special-Report-March-2019-Tina-Fontaine-FINAL1.pdf