Young Parents There are more First Nations children in care now than in the height of the residential school era. There is a Catch-22 in the Ministry of Child and Family Development processes when children are taken by the ministry from young parents. Young parents are told that they cannot get their children back until they get adequate housing; however, the young parents often do not qualify for housing unless they have their children. Young families are particularly vulnerable to housing insecurity, often having low incomes and few life skills. Opting to stay close to family on the reserve for support, they end up raising their children in crowded homes with little privacy and struggling for independence. When they trade off the support and move to urban centres where rents are high they find themselves discriminated against because of their age, their low income, and because of racism. Lack of adequate housing is leaving another generation of children, as they mature, with the need to heal from a troubled childhood.
Recommendations • • • • •
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Consider childcare and transportation when planning housing Research what sort of housing the children are living in—make it known • Make housing for children a priority Create shared housing complexes • With supportive structures, food security, and cultural support • Community buildings Don’t necessarily adhere to government regulations • Do not need one bedroom for each child Create a housing hotline with actual housing services for young parents • Maintain a database • Help First Nations know where their children are and how they are being housed
