Excerpts
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Why Indigenous-led services matter
It’s important to examine the effect of colonialism when considering why the authority over raising and caring for Indigenous children has been disrupted. When we take into account the painful history of residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, the millennial scoop, and the ongoing overrepresentation of Indigenous children in the child welfare system, a strong commitment to Indigenous-led child care is easily seen as one of the most promising chances that we have at building lasting reconciliation.
A meaningful commitment to child care could change the course of Ontario’s relationship with urban Indigenous people. We can place responsibility for urban Indigenous child care where it belongs – in urban Indigenous-led organizations.
What needs to change
Two critical things need to happen to fully realize an urban Indigenous-led child care system. First, we need to transition the authority over existing child care services to be actually Indigenous-led, not just delivered in Indigenous spaces without Indigenous oversight or management.
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Second, we need to ensure that any new funding from CWELCC agreements is equitably invested in urban Indigenous-led child care. To that end, the OFIFC has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Education for a truly Indigenous-led child care system that would provide culturally based services in all 29 of Ontario’s Friendship Centres and a fair share of spaces for Indigenous children in cities and towns.
Despite the demonstrated allyship from OMSSA, and the OFIFC’s proposal for a fair share of investments, the Ministry of Education is proceeding with a CWELCC funding model that further entrenches services for Indigenous children within mainstream service system managers.
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Working together for urban Indigenous children
We are asking OMSSA and its Members to continue their allyship. We encourage OMSSA and Service Managers to work with the OFIFC and local Friendship Centres to carefully plan their allocations to Indigenous communities while we advocate for equitable investments from the province and work to transition child care authority into an Indigenous-led system.
It’s time to put Indigenous children first, not leave them behind for another generation.