BC Government Releases Funds on Orange Shirt Day

Grand Chief Ed John’s November 2016 report on Indigenous child welfare identified a range of family services where funding was needed. Examples from that report, which are eligible under the new program, include:

* Supporting parents from rural communities who may benefit from transportation assistance to court or counselling
* Hiring a family-support worker to help guide parents through the child-welfare process
* Working with an Elder to teach parenting skills from a traditional point of view
* Strengthening traditional Indigenous skills within families, such as fishing, hunting or storytelling
* Pooling the funding to work with other communities on a new or existing program or service

The $6.4-million investment is part of government’s broader response to recommendations made in John’s report. Within his report, John called for provincial and federal partners to invest in the development and delivery of child and family services directly within First Nations communities in B.C.

To read more about the recommendations made in John’s report, visit: http://ow.ly/ci8Y30fx7K2

To learn more about Orange Shirt Day, visit: www.orangeshirtday.org