1 in 2 Manitoba First Nations parents with child protection services, study says [Video]

A new joint study by the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and researchers from University of Manitoba shows a stark provincial reality.

Nearly 50 per cent of all First Nation parents in Manitoba have had a child protective file opened against them. That’s nearly four times as many as a non-First Nation parent (13.1 per cent.)

According to the study, First Nations parents are almost six times (27.4 per cent) more likely to have their children placed out of home than non-First Nation parents (4.7 per cent), and about five times (9.6 per cent) more likely to experience termination of parental rights (TPR) than non-First Nation parents (1.8 per cent.)

Mary Burton of Zoongizi Ode Inc. says there needs to be a collaborative program between the child protective services and local organizations that can positively impact families instead of taking kids away from them.

“We need to have child welfare because there are families in this country, …