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.

害羞草研究所淭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,害羞草研究所� Furstenau said, addressing the long-standing issue of over representation of Indigenous children in the child welfare system. 害羞草研究所淭hen we see, from what I can tell, business as usual.害羞草研究所�

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.

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

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

害羞草研究所淭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害羞草研究所檙e following all of their principles and all of their announcements and policy and legislation,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淗ave they done that? The question that needs to be asked is: Was every measure taken to keep this mother and her infant together?害羞草研究所�

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

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.

害羞草研究所淵ou have policies, laws and commitments,害羞草研究所� Furstenau said. 害羞草研究所淭his is what they need to be held accountable to.害羞草研究所�

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.

害羞草研究所淭he real hazard here in calling MCFD is the most dangerous thing you can do in this province,害羞草研究所� Olsen said. 害羞草研究所淭hat is the message this sends. It says: Don害羞草研究所檛 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害羞草研究所檒l step out for a minute and come back and have no idea where your baby is at.害羞草研究所�

Both Olsen and Furstenau indicated that above the couple害羞草研究所檚 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.

害羞草研究所淭here is a long-standing and systemic history of undermining Indigenous women as parents and it is deliberate and we害羞草研究所檙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,害羞草研究所� Olsen said.

Furstenau also cited , which was released April 18 and found a lack of progress on the RCY害羞草研究所檚 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.

害羞草研究所淭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害羞草研究所檙e seeing: you害羞草研究所檙e failing,害羞草研究所� Furstenau said.

害羞草研究所揥ith files from Wolfgang Depner