Skye’s Legacy

Restorative Practice: Prioritizing “Belonging” in Child Welfare

The Vancouver Aboriginal Child & Family Services Society hosts a helpful web page that serves as a quick read. Drawing inspiration from RCYBC’s investigative report, ‘Skye’s Legacy’, on the tragic death of a 17th Dene Girl, the VACFSS illuminates alternative options to foster belonging in Indigenous youth, some provided by their own service. “The Out of Care Options Program is of utmost significance in prioritizing belonging” comes to the forefront in their writing, hoping that “more families step in to care for their kin who are in need of alternate care.” The meaningful impact that is created by keeping children intact with their traditional and ancestral communities and lands is made abundantly clear, with connections to kinship relationships claiming prominence. Helpful resources and practical steps are provided for both service providers and Indigenous families and youth.

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