July 16, 2024
(xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh)/Vancouver, B.C.) Today, the Representative for Children and Youth (RCY) released a report titled “Don’t Look Away” which details the broken system for child protection and care in B.C. The First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) pleads for children to be placed at the center and calls for careful review and full implementation of the recommendations.
The report tells the heartbreaking story of “Colby”, and his sister who suffered the abuse from those who were supposed to act as their caregivers. Colby, as other children whose stories are shared in the report, lost his life to a lack of collective and connected care. The RCY addresses existing models grounded in colonial worldviews as well as systemic patterns that hurt our children, and formulates recommendations for systems of care that promote child and family well-being.