Native Courtworker and Counselling Association of British Columbia

Published purpose

This 36-month project seeks to influence culturally-relevant changes to provincial child protection policies and programs to facilitate Indigenous women’s access to services and reduce the likelihood that they stay in unsafe households to avoid being separated from their children. The organization will mobilize and engage relevant stakeholders to increase their knowledge of the impact of over-representation of Indigenous children and youth in the child protection justice system. Together they will identify existing measures, policies, and procedures contributing to this over-representation. Based on the findings, the organization will develop alternative measures that are culturally-appropriate and can be integrated within the mainstream child welfare system. The supplemental funding will be used for engaging with a consultant to perform policy analysis/research to support the project work. This will encompass policy recommendations to current legislation around Indigenous children in care.