Utoo Radio - from several news sources - February 29 2024 - An investigation by Global News uncovered a situation where youths from remote, northern communities such as Grassy Narrows are reportedly being targeted by certain for-profit group home companies. This is based on interviews with over 50 former group home workers, former children's aid employees, and child-welfare experts, who suggest that owners may charge more for Indigenous children or view them as a consistent source of revenue.
A former group home worker from eastern Ontario spoke out about the child welfare system, expressing concerns about its true nature. The individual's identity is being protected due to fears of professional consequences. "The individuals would likely be surprised if they were to encounter that setting."
Sylvia Maracle, the former long-time executive director of the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres, expressed concerns that private youth group home operators view children as a means to financial gain.
According to Maracle, some young individuals have faced distressing experiences leading to significant trauma.
Canada has apologized for residential schools, but they have now transformed the schools into child welfare residences.
Taylor is of the opinion that these companies are making a profit from First Nations children.
"I believe it's genuine, and it's crucial for the public to be aware of it, and for Indigenous child-welfare agencies to become more aware because human lives are at stake," she stated.
Group home companies reached out by Global News have vehemently refuted allegations of targeting Indigenous youth or imposing higher fees on northern First Nations children's agencies. The companies state that they collaborate with an Indigenous youth's legal guardian, social worker, and local Children's Aid Society case management team to address the child's cultural needs.
Within the Ojibwe Nation, with around 1,600 members, over 100 children are currently under the care of the child-welfare system, as reported by the local Indigenous organization Grassy Narrows Child and Family Advocates.
The stunning scenery of the First Nation, with its shimmering waterways and eagles soaring overhead, contrasts sharply with the social challenges residents encounter, including addiction, high unemployment, and a housing shortage.
Exploring the reasons behind the high number of Indigenous children entering the system, members of the Grassy community and advocates emphasize the importance of understanding the area's history.
According to many community members, families are facing challenges due to unresolved intergenerational trauma.
Grassy Narrows residents have been separated from their families for decades and taken to various residential schools in Ontario, including McIntosh Residential School, St. Mary's Indian Residential School, and St. Margaret’s.
During the '60s Scoop, children from the First Nation were removed from their families by child-welfare authorities and placed for adoption in non-Indigenous families. This period occurred between the 1960s and 1980s.
In 1970, a pulp and paper company in nearby Dryden released over 9,000 kilograms of mercury into the Wabigoon-English river system that surrounds the community. For decades, the water, fish, and residents were affected by contamination. In a recent development, the provincial government has implemented a ban on commercial fishing in the area.
Grassy Narrows First Nation parents are facing a battle to keep their children at home
Research conducted by Chris Vecsey, a professor at Colgate University specializing in Humanities and Native American Studies, revealed that the First Nation, once thriving, is now grappling with issues such as high unemployment, mercury-related illnesses, and addiction, leading to significant social and economic challenges across generations.
As per Statistics Canada, the current unemployment rate stands at one in five people. Throughout the community, signs alert residents to the dangers of mercury contamination.
Grassy Narrows exemplifies a larger, more widespread problem. In Canada, the majority of children under age 14 in foster care are Indigenous, even though they make up a small percentage of the child population, as reported by Statistics Canada.
Child-welfare authorities in Grassy Narrows often have to send kids, such as Taylor, to group and foster homes across southern Ontario due to insufficient community-based resources.
Ontario is home to just over 300 group homes, with 135 operated by for-profit companies that negotiate a daily rate with the province. Non-profit organizations such as children's aid societies, Indigenous children's agencies, and independent or religious organizations now oversee the remaining homes.
Many of these residences employ staff who work rotating shifts to care for numerous children living there, including those who have experienced abuse, are orphaned, or have other special requirements.
Maria Swain, a survivor of two residential schools, has shared her story. According to her, the impact of foster and group homes on Indigenous children is significant, as they are placed in what she describes as a money-making industry.
"Our children return more harmed, so the situation must cease," she stated.
