The BC Green Party is calling for reforms and transparency when removing children from the care of parents in the wake of a baby being apprehended in Victoria this week.

Party leader Sonia Furstenau and Saanich North and Islands MLA Adam Olsen met with media today (April 19) to discuss the practise of removing children from the care of parents after Campbell River residents Sonja and Philip Hathaway committed to camping outside of the B.C. legislature following the Amella, born at Victoria General Hospital.

In the press conference, Furstenau cited a list of announcements made by the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) that address how the ministry plans to address child welfare.

含羞草研究社淭here are two pages of announcements and policy and legislative changes from this government that indicate that it is going to not be business as usual,含羞草研究社� Furstenau said, addressing the long-standing issue of over representation of Indigenous children in the child welfare system. 含羞草研究社淭hen we see, from what I can tell, business as usual.含羞草研究社�

Mitzi Dean, the minister in charge, told Black Press Media she is unable to comment on the case, or even acknowledge if the ministry has been involved with the Hathaway family, but stressed the importance of keeping families together.

含羞草研究社淲hile I含羞草研究社檓 not able to comment on the particular circumstance of a particular family, what we do know 含羞草研究社� is Indigenous children have been over-represented in the child welfare system for far too long,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淲e know that a connection has been made between the existing child welfare, the 含羞草研究社�60s Scoop and so-called residential schools and it含羞草研究社檚 been harmful and it has caused inter-generational trauma.含羞草研究社�

Furstenau also expressed frustration in the lack of transparency on behalf of MCFD and what she said is the discrediting of parents含羞草研究社� experiences.

含羞草研究社淭he pattern is very clear and very well-established and very predictable that MCFD is going to spend time undermining her [the mother], as opposed to reflecting on if they含羞草研究社檙e following all of their principles and all of their announcements and policy and legislation,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淗ave they done that? The question that needs to be asked is: Was every measure taken to keep this mother and her infant together?含羞草研究社�

Furstenau said the Hathaways含羞草研究社� case is just one in a 含羞草研究社済enerations of child welfare policy oriented towards systemic racism against Indigenous people.含羞草研究社�

Sonja, a member of the Dene First Nation, told Black Press Media she was concerned about her baby losing access to their native language and culture in the time she spends away from her.

含羞草研究社淵ou have policies, laws and commitments,含羞草研究社� Furstenau said. 含羞草研究社淭his is what they need to be held accountable to.含羞草研究社�

Olsen remarked on the facts of the case as presented to him by the couple, who said there were several months during which they were working with MCFD to establish a birth plan for when Amella was born, but those agreements were not honoured.

含羞草研究社淭he real hazard here in calling MCFD is the most dangerous thing you can do in this province,含羞草研究社� Olsen said. 含羞草研究社淭hat is the message this sends. It says: Don含羞草研究社檛 reach out to this government for support because the thing is, they will lull you into believing that they are working with you and then you含羞草研究社檒l step out for a minute and come back and have no idea where your baby is at.含羞草研究社�

Both Olsen and Furstenau indicated that above the couple含羞草研究社檚 ability to care for the child, the measures taken by MCFD reflect a systemic effort to weaken Indigenous communities through removing children from their parents.

含羞草研究社淭here is a long-standing and systemic history of undermining Indigenous women as parents and it is deliberate and we含羞草研究社檙e all supposed to be questioning it because the reality is if they can break the mother and baby bond then you can destroy it,含羞草研究社� Olsen said.

Furstenau also cited , which was released April 18 and found a lack of progress on the RCY含羞草研究社檚 recommendations to improve the effectiveness of ministries like MCFD. The report found one-third of recommendations, which include an increased collaboration and engagement with Indigenous communities, had no progress.

Furstenau said that in an upcoming meeting with MCFD staff scheduled for April 20, she will inquire about the work being done to reunite the family.

含羞草研究社淭his is what this minister and this deputy minister [of MCFD] and this ministry writ large has not grappled with effectively, that you can make all of these policies, you can make announcements every single month, you can say all these nice words but if the implementation of your policies and your acts results in what we含羞草研究社檙e seeing: you含羞草研究社檙e failing,含羞草研究社� Furstenau said.

含羞草研究社揥ith files from Wolfgang Depner