Group home for Indigenous youth opens in far North
- Fraser Needham | February 18, 2014
Prior to last month, troubled youth from Saskatchewan's far north were sent away as far as Prince Albert and Regina for foster care.
However, thanks to a new group home that opened its doors in Black Lake on Jan. 16, they can now stay closer to their home communities.
The $2.1 million group home is a collaborative project between the Athabasca Denesuline First Nations of Black Lake, Fond du Lac and Hatchet Lake. There are currently six Indigenous youth between the ages of 12 and 17 living in the ten-bed facility.
Athabasca Dene Child and Family Services executive director Yvonne Wolverine says the new group home is the product of a number of years of planning. She says it has long been the feeling of local First Nations that at risk youth from nearby communities will do best in a facility that is located within a culturally appropriate setting and close to friends and family.
"It is difficult to be away from home and away from your culture, your language, it gets very difficult when you are growing up, especially at a young age," she says. "So, the leaders decided in the past, the board members, that we needed to do something to bring our children home."
Saskatchewan's Children's Advocate Bob Pringle was also on hand for the grand opening of the group home. He says he agrees with Wolverine that Aboriginal youth should have the opportunity to receive family services close to home.
"It's important in my view that children be placed in settings of their own culture," he says. "I am a strong believer that First Nations children, and Métis children, ideally should ensure that their provided services that take into account a sense of their culture and are ideally provided by First Nations and Métis caregivers."
The Black Lake group home has also been made possible through a generous half million-dollar donation by uranium mining companies Cameco and Areva. Cameco official Darrel Burnouf says his company believes it is important to support northern youth in any way it can.
"This company, we've taken direction from northern leaders, which many are here today, and time and time again theyve told us to invest in our youth," he says.
Glenn Lafleur of Areva adds his company realizes the importance of northern youth being able to receive services close to friends and family and this is why they have made a significant contribution to the group home.
"Its important that the youth stay at home, instead of being sent south, theyll have family support here at the group home," he says.
The group home will provide educational, spiritual and recreational services. In addition, it will also offer therapeutic and family counseling, cultural programming and holistic addiction and trauma recovery.