Skye's legacy: Recommendations in report on death of Indigenous teen in B.C. care
A lengthy investigation into the circumstances of how and why an Indigenous teen died while under the care of the B.C. government has led to several recommendations on how to improve the system.
The report, Skye’s Legacy: A Focus on Belonging, submitted by B.C. Representative for Children and Youth Dr. Jennifer Charlesworth, explored the life of a youth named Skye, who died of an overdose on her 17th birthday in August 2017.
The report found that B.C.'s child welfare system left Skye without a sense of belonging, particularly as an Indigenous person, which contributed to her death.
Skye was removed from her mother's care when she was five years old. In the 12 years that she was in the province's child welfare system, she was moved across the province 15 times, had 18 different social workers, lived in eight different foster homes and went to eight different schools, according to the report.
"Ostensibly, one of the reasons she came into permanent care was to stop the pattern of instability she had been experiencing and to offer her the physical permanency that (the B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development) believed her mother was unable to provide," reads the report.
"However, the ministry also failed to provide any lasting sense of physical belonging."
Skye lived mostly on Vancouver Island, between Campbell River and Nanaimo.
During her frequent moves, investigators said that the province was largely concerned with finding Skye adoptive homes, rather than working with her family on how to return to her to her mother's care, or extended family's care.
The report also says that the province did not accommodate Skye's wishes to connect with her First Nation culture or visit her home territory of the Teetlit Gwich'in Band in Fort McPherson, N.W.T., "despite clearly expressing her desire to do both."
"The cumulative result was that Skye wasn’t able to realize the sense of belonging that all humans need and seek," reads the report.
"The focus on legal belonging (adoption) came at the expense of all the other elements of belonging for Skye, including connection to family, culture, community and physical place."
RECOMMENDATIONS
The report includes three recommendations for the B.C. government to consider.
The first recommendation calls for the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) to conduct an analysis of what resources are needed to better support belonging for Indigenous and Metis youth in care.
Once complete, a significant investment should also be made to acquire the resources by April 2022.
The report found that multiple social workers who worked with Skye said that they had few resources available, especially in the northern areas of Vancouver Island.
The report adds that more than 67 per cent of all children currently in government care are Indigenous, even though less than 10 per cent of B.C.'s population is Indigenous.
The MCFD's most recent service plan found that Indigenous children were nearly 18 times more likely to be removed from their parents care than non-Indigenous children, making the investment and review of care for Indigenous children in the province's child welfare system a priority.
The report's second recommendation calls for a review and update of B.C.'s care-planning and case management standards for child welfare to better support a sense of belonging for youth in care.
The third recommendation encourages the government to share the report with any workers who plan care for youth, or who work with youth, and to "meaningfully engage" with the findings of the report.
"Skye wasn’t given the opportunity to realize the sense of belonging that she needed and deserved. It is the Representative’s strong hope that sharing her story will enable other Indigenous children and youth such as Skye to do so," reads the report.
On Thursday, B.C.'s Minister of Children and Family Development said the province was aware of problems in the child welfare system.
"I agree with the representative that, beyond what we’re already doing to improve the child-protection system in B.C., we can and must do more to ensure children and youth who come into care stay connected to their families and their culture, and feel a strong sense of belonging in all aspects of their lives," said Minister Mitzi Dean in a statement. "This is especially important for Indigenous children and youth," she said.
B.C.'s Representative for Children and Youth said Thursday that while the province hasn't formally accepted the report's recommendations, it may take time for approval because the report's first recommendation involves budget costs.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Canada Disability Benefit needs to be safeguarded from clawbacks, MPs unanimously agree
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Testifying in hush money trial, adult film actor Stormy Daniels describes first meeting Trump
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential election 10 years later.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Turfing Poilievre from House a clear sign of desperation by Trudeau Liberals
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
Security guard shot, seriously injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.
Katy Perry's mom was fooled by AI images of the singer at the Met Gala
Katy Perry did not attend the Met Gala on Monday, but some of the singer’s fans – and even her mom – thought she did.
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.