M INISTERIAL P A N E L O N C H I L D I NTERVENTION

M E E T I N G S UMMARY

Wednesday, November 8, 9:00am - Noon

Introduction The meeting of the Ministerial Panel on Child Intervention was held at the Wales Room, 10th floor Federal Building, on traditional Treaty 6 territory and Métis homeland. Elder Gloria Laird offered a blessing to start the meeting on November 8, 2017.

The Chair acknowledged those members of the public present and thanked them for their attendance. The meeting was supported through an audio livestream and the archive is available on the panel website, childinterventionpanel..ca.

Panel Members Present: Debbie Jabbour, Chair, MLA for Peace River Maria Fitzpatrick, MLA for Lethbridge-East Nicole Goehring, MLA for Edmonton-Castle Downs Graham Sucha, MLA for -Shaw Leela Aheer, United Conservative Party caucus, MLA for Chestermere-Rocky View, for MLA Ric McIver, United Conservative Party caucus, MLA for Calgary-Hays Greg Clark, , MLA for Calgary-Elbow Dr. Peter Choate, MSW, PhD, Mount Royal University Bruce MacLaurin, MSW, University of Calgary Dr. Patti LaBoucane-Benson, PhD, Native Counselling Services of Alberta Tyler White, CEO, Siksika Health Services

Regrets: Heather Sweet, MLA for Edmonton-Manning Cameron Westhead, MLA for Banff-Cochrane Dr. David Swann, Alberta Liberal caucus, MLA for Calgary-Mountain View

Presentations

Child Welfare League of Canada: Executive Director Gordon Phaneuf; and Nipissing University: President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mike DeGagné, presented on cross-jurisdictional perspectives related to cultural connectedness, and legal permanency involving Indigenous children and families. They also examined the current context and emerging issues; provided

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M E E T I N G S UMMARY

analysis and examples of innovation and promising practices; and considerations for moving forward.

School of Social Work, University of Victoria: Dr. Jeannine Carriere, Professor, presented on the principles and practices for cultural connectedness, and legal permanency involving Indigenous children and families.

Facilitation

Damien Traverse, Community Development Officer, Culture and Tourism, then facilitated a fishbowl discussion with the experts on these topics. Panel questions and answers then followed.

The experts said cultural connectedness must be the frame we work from. Permanency planning must address the importance of cultural connectedness, and the safety and well-being of Indigenous children requires that their cultural heritage be addressed.

Throughout, the experts reinforced the need to: listen to children and recognize the trauma associated with child intervention; define permanency from an Indigenous perspective; better resource kinship care and build community capacity; build civil society for Indigenous communities; and acknowledge that Indigenous Peoples are self-determining peoples.

Next Steps

Future meetings for the Panel will be posted on the website, childinterventionpanel.alberta.ca. The website and e-mail, [email protected], continue to be available for the public to get information and/or make submissions to the Panel.

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