In the Vancouver Sun, Ian Mulgrew states that “any honest conversation about child welfare in B.C., especially around aboriginal children, needs to include our collective responsibility.” We have 7100 children in care in BC. Aboriginal children make up more than half of that number.
Adoption could be a great solution for many of the children in care. Keeping sibling groups together and the desire to place aboriginal children in aboriginal homes reduces the numbers of children that are ultimately adopted.
Mulgrew argues that while government bears some responsibility for the the outcomes of children it’s care, “[n]o government can replace a proper home for a child.”
Coordinating government policy, through a social policy framework, built from the bottom up that reflects the values of British Columbians could go a long way towards grappling with some of the most intractable social problems we face. It may even help to get some kids a home.