Failures in permanency planning by the Ministry of Children and Family Development have drawn the concern of First Nations leaders.
A letter has been penned by the First Nations Leadership Council calling on the Ministry to address the issues and rectify the harm caused.
It follows a report titled “Misinformed” from BC Ombudsperson Jay Chalke, which follows the case of a young girl named Alexandra.
As a youth, Alexandra was in and out of the foster system, before entering into a permanency agreement at age 17.
Permanency agreements offer the full legal rights of a family member, and are often a strong option to keep First Nations children with kin.
But, according to the report, Alexandra was misinformed regarding her ability to access government supports after signing the agreement.
She had been denied funding to access post-secondary education due to having been in her aunt’s custody when she turned 19.
Three of the five recommendations submitted by the Ombudsperson in the report were rejected by the Ministry.
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