Nuu-chah-nulth foster parents gathered for a lunch Aug. 5 at Tin Wis in Tofino and began to organize a network of support among themselves.
Michelle Dick is employed for the summer as a special project worker for Usma’s Resource Team. She was hired through the Nuu-chah-nulth Employment and Training Program to facilitate the building of the support group.
She said she wanted to make Nuu-chah-nulth foster parents stronger, more noticeable and for the children to be more comfortable going back to the communities. She hoped that the foster parents would feel that they could reach out to one another and keep in contact.
The goal for the group was to identify training resources, allow opportunities to socialize with one another, and hold each other up in times of need or stress.
There is also the continuing goal of encouraging other Nuu-chah-nulth, especially on the West Coast, to open their homes to Nuu-chah-nulth children in care and become involved, said Resource Team Leader Julia Hunter.
The Usma Resource Team, whose job it is to recruit, assess and support foster parents, are looking for Nuu-chah-nulth who can fill a variety of needs, including short-term emergency homes, long-term homes, and host homes. These are homes where kids and foster parents are billeted when they come into a nation for an event or to see family.
After lunch the foster parents brainstormed about what kinds of events they would come out for, when the best day and time was to do that, and how often they would like to come together. In attendance was Kyra Mason, the new director of Usma, and Debra Foxcroft, the president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council.
Arlene Bill, the Resource Team assistant, was on hand, as was Charlene Thompson Reid, the Resource Social Worker. Helping out with the young children was 17-year-old Carley Edgar, a team leader with the Usma Youth Council. She was able to take the kids for a walk on the beach while the foster parents took part in the discussion.
The youth council started about four months ago and has already attracted 16 older kids in care to help mentor the young children. It was after a discussion with friend Daniel, said Carley, that the youth council started to fall into place. They volunteer at Usma events, primarily, and gather when kids want to talk about issues they may be having with a foster parent or a social worker.
Carley shared an example of the types of issues they deal with. Recently, a social worker and a youngster were having an issue over a clothing allowance. The young person said she should be able to take the money and shop by herself, while the social worker thought she still needed some oversight. The issue is being worked through, said Carley, and the youth council was able to help both see the other’s point of view.
Carley lives in Port Alberni and travels to Ucluelet to work in the fish plant there. Despite the two-hour commute each way and the 12-hour days, Carley said the youth council is very important to her. It’s “mind-blowing” how far it’s come in a few short months, she told Ha-Shilth-Sa. “It’s amazing.”
The group has already volunteered at 13 events, and are rewarded with a day of surfing on Wickininnish Beach. She said it is good to connect with other foster kids, and get to know people who are going through the same things. “It’s like making an easy friend,” said Carley.
And that seems to be the goal of the foster parents support group, to gathering with people who are going through the same things and will understand the unique situations of fostering.
Deb Foxcroft said it was exciting news to have a Nuu-chah-nulth foster parent support group. “I can’t believe that we’ve come this far.” She thanked the foster parents for taking on the responsibility of taking children into their homes, ensuring their connection to their communities, language and culture. She said it took caring, nurturing and loving to open their homes.
Charlene Thompson-Reid thanked Michelle for her project. “It means the world to us to see Nuu-chah-nulth families stepping up. It’s just growing and growing.”
“We want our children home in our communities, in our nations,” she said. “I can’t wait for a year from now to see what it will look like.”
Michelle was a foster parent in 2012, and in 2013 went back to school to pursue her education in child and youth care. When her schooling is done, she hopes to be able to open her home again to children. It takes a person who is loving, caring and supportive, she said.
Long-time foster parent Karen Adams said “thank you for trusting us to take the children.” Karen has been with Usma for 30 years and has seen about 100 children come to stay with her, she and husband Fred have estimated. Fred encouraged people to become involved with Usma, not blame the system but work to improve it.
“We have to step forward and make the changes... let people get to know our ways.”
Fred and Karen are in full support of the new foster parents group. Fred said sharing the challenges with others is important. Karen said it’s about knowing that you are not the only one going through the challenges. Each other's experiences are important to draw on.
Fred said that he and Karen bring something to fostering that the other doesn’t have. In their case, Karen has the experience of belonging to a large and loving family. Karen said her mother always made sure everyone had something to eat and made room for all.
Fred grew up with the experience of not having a mom and dad full time. At 18 months he was with his grandmother, and was in residential school after the age of five. He said he has calculated that he spent all of only 56 months until the age of 19 with his own mother and father.
Fred said Karen brings the love and he brings the understanding. “I really feel for them,” he said of children in foster care. “We’ve been really lucky, gaining their trust, gaining respect for our house and family."
Amanda and Reggie Watts have stepped forward too. They have been fostering now for three months, with a three-year-old boy in their care and his five-year-old sister transitioning into their home now. It took some time for Amanda to complete her application after taking the three-day workshop offered by Usma to potential applicants, she said.
“It’s life-changing for sure,” she told Ha-Shilth-Sa. She had nieces and nephews, and was hoping to start a family on her own. But then Usma called and said, we have a little boy here that needs a home, and she said ‘OK’ and completed the process. She said she has a child to think about now and all the regular parent stuff that comes with that. And soon, two more. Yes, two. The little girl, and now Amanda is expecting a baby in January.
The Usma Resource Team would, ideally, like foster homes in every nation. If you wish to get more information about becoming a foster parent, call a resource worker at 250-724-3232 or go to the website at usmafosterhomes.ca to learn more.
