MCA Takes Over Child Welfare Responsibilities in All Districts

AKWESASNE MOHAWK TERRITORY- The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne is pleased to announce recent developments between MCA and the Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services.

Beginning on September 6, 2011, children and families residing on Kawehno:ke (Cornwall Island) who require a social worker or family services are now being directed to MCA’s Akwesasne Child & Family Services (ACFS) as it has been given designation and authority as an official Children’s Aid Society. Prior to Sept. 6, Kawehno:ke families were under the jurisdiction of the Children’s Aid Society of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Counties in Cornwall.

MCA staff and Council members have been working towards child protection designation for the jurisdiction of Kawehno:ke since the early 1990s. At that time, they also sought to gain control over cases in Kana:takon (St. Regis) and Tsi Snaihne (Snye) which was granted to MCA by Quebec in 1996. In 1997 Ontario placed a moratorium on granting designation to First Nations child & family programs before MCA was successful in obtaining it.

In 2006 Ontario’s moratorium was lifted and since then MCA’s Department of Community & Social Services staff along with members of Council have been carefully working to ensure MCA’s ACFS program met the Ontario Ministry of Children & Youth Services standards for designation. Despite many administrative setbacks and delays in the process, Grand Chief Mike Mitchell was notified on Aug. 17, 2011 that designation with conditions was granted to ACFS.

“I know this designation, with conditions, is the result of much thorough and careful planning with the goal of providing the best possible services to the children, youth and families in your community on Cornwall Island,” wrote Minister of Children & Youth Services Laurel Broten.

The “conditions” period requires ACFS to meet certain CAS standards and criteria over the next several months. In March 2012, ministry officials will once again review the ACFS program to determine if full designation without conditions can be given at that time.

“This has been a long, long process and we are relieved to finally see all three of our district’s cases now being overseen by our own ACFS program,” said District Chief Julie Phillips-Jacobs who has been involved in the process since she was elected in 2006. “We know our program has the same level of standards and professionalism as any other program in Ontario and Quebec and Akwesasne families can now rest at ease that their cases will be handled by their own community program.”

To learn more about the ACFS program and the new designation, contact ACFS at 613-575-2341. Families in need of immediate child & family services may also call ACFS directly or after normal business hours contact the police department at 613-575-2000 and an on-call ACFS worker will be notified immediately.