Vision/ Mission

We embrace the opportunity to promote and enhance the well-being and healthy development of children and families. We will provide preventative and protective services in the least intrusive and culturally appropriate manner which reflect and honor the holistic needs of the Little Red River Cree Nation.

Casework

Child protective services (CPS) casework practice can cover a variety of interventions. Effective casework practice allows child protection staff to work together with families to identify strengths, needs, goals, and desired outcomes. Often, the goals focus on enhancing caregiver protective capacity, which can help maximize children’s safety and minimize their risk of harm. The Casework Program includes resources ranging from decision making and safety-planning phases to case planning and management. Specific resources include information on in-home services, working with families involved with CPS, and cultural competence. Evidence based, and promising interventions are also shared.

Q: How do we become involved with families?

A: We become involved with families when we receive a call from a concerned person. The caller needs to witness a situation themselves and to have facts on what is going on. We do not respond to third party information. The types of legal authorities we have are:

  • Apprehension Order
  • Custody Agreement with Guardian
  • Custody Guardian with a Youth
  • Temporary Guardianship Order (TGO)
  • Permanent Guardianship Order (PGO)
  • Supervision Order

We work with families to ensure the safety of the children. We make sure that we help and provide the best supports and services for families that they need. We make referrals for individuals who need treatment, counselling, and parenting assessments.

Foster Care

The goals of the Foster Care Program reflect the philosophy of the Enhancement Act. A foster family is a temporary placement for a child who cannot remain with his or her own family due to safety concerns. The supportive atmosphere of a caregiver home assists a child in developing healthy self-esteem, assisting in meeting children’s social, emotional, and physical needs, and offers positive role models on which a child can pattern values and behavior.

Kinship Care

The goals of the Kinship Care Program reflect the philosophy of the Enhancement Act. Placement with family is a priority for children. Children placed with family do much better than children placed in general foster care. A kinship home is a temporary placement for a child who cannot remain with his or her own family due to safety reasons. A kinship caregiver is an extended family member of a child, or a person who has a significant relationship with the child or is a member of the child’s cultural community.

Q: How Foster/Kinship Care work?

A: Foster/Kinship Care is intended to provide temporary, safe living arrangements and healing services for children who cannot remain safely at home due to child maltreatment or for children whose parents are unable to provide adequate care. The foster/kinship care system aims to safely reunify children with their parents or secure another permanent home, e.g., through private guardianship. However, sometimes this goal is not achieved. Instead, many children spend years in foster/kinship homes or group homes, often moving multiple times. Sometimes these children are at increased risk for a variety of emotional, physical, behavioral, and academic problems. Recognizing these issues, advocates and policymakers have made efforts to safely reduce the number of children living in foster/kinship care. While the number of children in care has decreased substantially, First Nations children continues to have the largest number entering the system.

More from the Coordinator:

In order for our children to become new visionaries and leaders, they must grow up in loving homes that value and encourage our traditional teachings and language.

When children of Cree culture are not able to live with their parents, we strive to find nurturing, safe, and stable homes, for them through our Foster/Kinship Care Programs.

We believe it is best for children to live with their families, this is not always possible. When a family solution is not available, children come into care.
Foster/Kinship parents provide substitute parenting when children cannot safely stay with their own families or when families need help during a life changing crisis.

Family Enhancement (F.E)

The Family Enhancement Program leads the delivery of services as mandated by the Child and Youth, and Family Enhancement Act. The services range from early intervention and Family Enhancement to Child Protection Services. F.E also leads the delivery of programs mandated by the Child Care Licensing Act, Protection against Family Violence and Protection of Sexually Exploited Children Act. F.E leads outcomes based on service delivery initiatives in child intervention that promotes positive outcomes for children, youth and families by strengthening both practice and business with service providers.

Presentations and Workshops that promote the prevention, education and awareness of MAS programs:

  • Grief & Loss
  • Anti-Bullying
  • Traditional Family Parenting
  • Anger Management
  • Domestic Violence
  • Annual Sexual Abuse Community Walk
  • Cultural Summer camps for elders, parents and youth

Mamawi Awaisis Society also collaborates with other departments and agencies to create/plan and host community events.

Family Support

Coming Soon

Cultural Support

Coming Soon