A Nunavut MLA says the territory is abandoning children in its care, and that a lack of government resources is no excuse.
The comments by Janet Pitsiulaaq Brewster, MLA for Iqaluit-Sinaa, come in response to a scathing report issued by Auditor General Karen Hogan on Tuesday.
That report found that the territory inadequately responded to reports of suspected harm to children in care, did not complete many investigations, did not sufficiently monitor the welfare of children in care, failed to meet obligations for the health and safety of employees, and could not provide accurate numbers of children in its care.
Pitsiulaaq Brewster said the first step the territory needs to take now is to determine how many children are in its care.
“I’m very concerned about the safety of those children in care, especially for the safety of those children who have been removed from the territory. If they’re not being tracked, where are they?” she said.
After the report was tabled, Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok said in a news release that the department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs would establish an audit and support function and develop a performance accountability framework.
“Children are the future of our territory. As Premier, and as a father, I am deeply disheartened by [the auditor general’s] report that says the delivery of child and family services in Nunavut is in a crisis state,” he said.
Pitsiulaaq Brewster said Akeeagok’s response disappointed her.
“He gave no details on what that ‘whole-of-government’ approach would be,” she said.
“It just seems that the government is kind of throwing their hands up and saying, ‘we don’t have the resources so we can’t do it.’
“The bottom line is that children’s safety is at risk.”
More federal resources
Lori Idlout, Nunavut’s MP, said the auditor general’s report shows the territory is in need of more federal resources.
“It’s a very drastic message from the auditor general,” Idlout said.
“I think immediate action needs to take place so that the government of Nunavut and in turn the federal government are doing better to protect Inuit and Indigenous children.”
Idlout said she feels the territorial government does not have the resources to address the immediate needs pointed out in the report. She said she plans to speak with Akeeagok about what the territory needs and to then meet with federal cabinet ministers to discuss implementation.
Idlout said that although it’s concerning, the report does have a silver lining.
“The auditor general’s report does give me hope that it’s not just Inuit who have been saying this, it’s not just Nunavummiut who have been saying this — to hear it from her specifically points to the fact that this really is an urgent matter that needs to be addressed immediately,” she said.
The report also called for more collaboration between the government and Inuit organizations.
Radio-Canada asked several times for an interview with Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. about the report, but did not receive a response by deadline.
12 years later
Jane Bates, who’s with Nunavut’s Representative for Children and Youth Office (RCYO), said the auditor general’s report is infuriating as its highlights issues that have been known for over a decade.
“My anger has stemmed from, this is not something that’s new,” she said.
“It should never have gotten to this place.”
An auditor general report in 2011 highlighted many of the same issues and a followup report in 2014 found they still hadn’t been addressed.
Bates herself has prepared reports sounding the alarm on the state of child and family services.
Unlike most auditor general reports, there were no recommendations included in the one released Tuesday. This came as past recommendations, from 2011 and 2014, haven’t been implemented.
Rather than giving formal recommendations, the report called for an immediate whole-of-government approach to address the challenges.
Bates said she has mixed feelings about that proposed approach, but overall is just hopeful concrete action will come from the report’s findings.
“There’s been numerous action plans, there’s been numerous reports, there’s been numerous recommendations made to this department, largely saying all the same things,” she said.
Bates said the failure of child and family services can have affects on individuals that last their whole life.
“When children experience child abuse and neglect… then it directly impacts their life going forward,” she said.
“The high suicide rate in the North can be directly connected to child adversity.”