The provincial child welfare system has found itself in the middle of controversy, with Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) labeling it a “failure” and provincial Liberals calling the situation “disgraceful”.

The MKO’s complaints deal with the issue of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry-Child Welfare Initiative (AJI-CWI). MKO Grand Chief David Harper, at a meeting July 13 with Southern Chiefs Organization (SCO) Grand Chief Morris Swan Shannacappo, claimed that the working relationship between the minister of family services and consumer affairs and aboriginal leadership has been compromised, and demanded that “the provincial government honour the spirit and the intent of the AJI-CWI.” Gord Mackintosh has been minister of family services since September 2006.

“The public has been led to believe that the devolution of child and family services has resulted in increased control by First Nations leadership and communities when, in fact, it has not. Despite numerous requests from First Nations leaders, the minister refuses to intervene and ensure accountability and transparency,” notes a press release stemming from the meeting.

The provincial child welfare system has also come under attack from the provincial Liberals. “The NDP’s lack of urgency on this situation is unacceptable,” said Liberal leader and pediatrician Dr. Jon Gerrard July 12. “They should have been able to come up with a basic priority list for the most urgent issues. It’s disgraceful that the majority of action on this crisis is happening in an opposition party office with two MLAs.”

A report given to the legislative assembly in June suggested that system “is in a state of chaos,” though provincial children’s advocate Bonnie Kocsis later suggested that she should have used more context in her report. The document blamed scarce resources and high caseloads for the current state of the system, where children have been placed in homes with abusive and even criminal pasts.