FSW 165 - The Prairie Child Welfare Consortium

Course Description

The Prairie Child Welfare Consortium (PCWC) is hosting a gathering /conference at the First Nations University of Canada (FNUC) in Regina November 7-8, 2022, and a half-day meeting by invitation for post-secondary social work educators on November 9, 2022. The PCWC started in 1999 through a dialogue about the state of child welfare in Canada and the challenges faced by Indigenous people on the Prairies involved in the child welfare system. The PCWC has included the First Nations University of Canada, the University of Calgary, the University of Regina and the University of Manitoba. The PCWC works to bring forward scholarship about contemporary child welfare issues that impact the Indigenous peoples of Canada. The PCWC held 7 biannual conferences across the Prairies and published 7 books in the Voices from the Prairies series through U of R Press.  
 
With the implementation of Bill C92 in Canada a new child welfare landscape is emerging, and this gathering provides a venue for participants to hear about contemporary issues including Bill C92, Child Advocacy, social work education and child welfare, promising practices in First Nations communities, the Indigenous Child Incidence Study in Canada and the Journey to Zero Program.  
 
The purpose of this gathering is to renew the work of the PCWC and to examine the current state of child welfare today through Indigenous knowledge exchange and supporting innovation and leadership in relation to child welfare. Day 1 & 2 is a conference and Day 3 is reserved for a full morning meeting of social work educators from various post-secondary institutions who are providing education in the area of child welfare primarily to social work students.  
 
Registrants are invited to participate in this 2-day conference that includes keynotes from Dr. Raven Sinclair and Ms. Brittany Mathews of the First Nations Caring Society.  Dr. Raven Sinclair is a professor in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Regina and was the Director and Executive Producer of the critical Film ‘Truth to be Told’ on the Sixties Scoop. Dr. Sinclair has been appointed as an Expert Adviser to the Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation. Brittany Mathews is the Reconciliation and Research Coordinator at the First Nations Caring Society in Ottawa. Brittany is Michif and a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta and a coordinating editor of the First People Child & Family Review. Brittany is a contributing author to the 2022 Walking Together book published by PCWC. 

Full attendance on November 7-8 will be available for 15 hours of ACSW credits

We will also be hosting a book launch of Walking Together: The Future of Indigenous Child Welfare on the Prairies published September 2022 by University of Regina Press. https://uofrpress.ca/Books/W/Walking-Together  
 
Conference Planning Committee: Dr. Jason Albert - FNUC; Dr. Dorothy Badry & Dr. Marlyn Bennett - U of C; Dr. Jennifer Hedges & Dr. Don Fuchs - U of M, Dr. Monty Montgomery - UBC; & Dr. Peter Choate - MRU 
 
Venue – First Nations University of Canada, 1 First Nations Way, Regina, SK – Room: Atrium 

Online registration will close on Sunday, November 6 at 11:59PM
Phone in registration will close on Friday, November 4 at 4:00 p.m. - 403-220-2866 
Registration automatically closes once registrations reach our capacity of 125 enrollments

Please note: Separate registrations for each individual is required

Course Details

Outcomes/Objectives 
 

• To host a gathering of people interested in contemporary child welfare issues in Western Canada with a primary focus on the Prairie Provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba 
• To discuss critical issues related to the delivery of child welfare services to Indigenous peoples on the Prairies 
• To engage in dialogue and discussion about critical child welfare issues since the implementation of Bill C92 
• To hear voices from across sectors engaged in child welfare service delivery 
• To renew and refresh the Prairie Child Welfare Consortium through gathering together and talking about current concerns about child welfare and the need to revision service delivery in current times 
• To host a meeting of post-secondary educators in Western Canadian Universities and Colleges on revising the work of the PCWC