When the Nezul Be Hunuyeh - Child and Family Services Society (CFSS) office opened in Prince George in Oct., 2010, it was a historic event for Aboriginal children and their families.
It marked a milestone in the Aboriginal journey towards assuming full responsibility for delivery of child and family services in the community, including the transfer of children in care of the state to the CFSS.
It has happened throughout the province including Haida Gwaii where officials of the Haida Nation said the establishment of its CFSS was the day the Haida Nation took back responsibility for their own children.
During the offiicial ceremony in November, Richard Russ, chair of Haida CFSS, said, "These are our children and families. We will deal with them according to our customs and our laws.
"No longer will our families be jumping through hoops for any government ministry.
"The ministry's standards will be a minimum, we can do better. The other side of the coin is that we are now responsible. We can't blame anyone else for our problems and challenges, for they are ours alone."
Echoing the feelings of Aboriginal leaders throughout the province, Arnie Bellis, vice-president of Haida Nation council, added, "In signing this agreement, we have a process in dealing with the most precious thing that we have - our children, who need us as leaders to step up and take responsibility and be accountable for their well-being."
The Prince George office, on its official opening invitation Oct. 22 , said of the children, "We are very happy you have come back."
The changeover of responsibility for Aboriginal children includes such matters as support services for families, voluntary care agreements for children, including temporary in-home care, and special needs agreements.
The celebration included an open house at the office located at 1444 Ninth Ave., a welcome feast at the Civic Centre and tributes to foster parents and those who contributed to the goals of CFSS.
Information about the Prince George program and what it offers must come from the Fort St. James office, but a number of messages to that office during the past month have not been returned to The Citizen.
The agreement with B.C.'s Ministry of Children and Family Services is part of the province's commitment to build a new relationship based on respect and trust with First Nations people.
Prior to delivering services, each agency was required to meet specific governing criteria in areas of planning, service delivery, financial administration, human resources and communications.
