Re: Stop Adoption of Métis Foster Child SS
Dear Premier,
I write to encourage your office, and that of all Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), in British Columbia to support the immediate stop of the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) in their efforts to move one of our member’s Métis foster child, known as ‘SS’, to Ontario.
This case has created significant public interest and the BC Métis Federation is strongly supporting the continued and future adoption care for the current Métis foster family rather than having another Métis child adopted to a non-Métis family for the following reasons:
1. Under the Child, Family and Community Services Act (CFCSA) there are rights that must be protected for this child: a. There is the right to continuity of care b. The right to kinship placement and c. The right of Aboriginal cultural preservation 2. Extended temporary care for this child in this situation is now approximately 28 months. Given the significant length of time in care of the foster parents, how can MCFD defend the right of the child to continuity of care; 3. Failure of various social workers and other Métis service delivery agencies to ensure this child’s Métis culture is supported and protected; and 4. Support of the biological parents to have the foster family adopt their child to ensure connections in the future.This situation is highly emotional for all parties and what we hope is MCFD will reverse their decision to seek adoption and move this child to Ontario with a non-Métis family. We strongly feel that this decision was not in good judgement and what is needed for this child is a loving and Métis culturally aware home. The Métis foster family has created a loving and safe home with foster parents who have demonstrated unconditional support for this Métis child. Moreover, they are from our Métis community and will ensure Métis cultural preservation.
Given the compelling and overwhelming reasons we urge the Provincial Government elected representatives to support our calls to stop this Métis foster child from being removed and causing major trauma to her as a result of MCFD.
We are calling on our members and all partners to join us in stopping the removal. Like yourself, we want what is best for this child and given the rights for this child that appear to have been ignored, we must stand up and now allow another Métis child to be removed from our community and families.
Our community is rallying support for this foster family and is donating funds, preparing a community gathering, and we are asking all members to contact their MLA’s to get involved and demand the MCFD to be reviewed.
Ultimately what we want is to work constructively and move forward in the best interests of SS.
Please consider how we can all join in this effort, the past has shown the generational effects of these policies to adoption out of our family and communities and we must all strive for a better future.
Thank you,
Keith Henry
President BC Métis Federation #300 – 3665 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC V5R 5WT Telephone: (604) 638-7220 cc British Columbia MLA’s BC Métis Federation Board Members BC Métis Federation Members[ilink url=”https://bcmetis.com/wp-content/uploads/BC-Metis-Federation-Letter-to-Premier-January-25th-2016-Stop-Adoption-of-SS.pdf” style=”download”]Click here to download this letter in PDF format.[/ilink]
