Don't stigmatize all youth in care, activist says about Winnipeg police chief's remarks
'There's lots and lots and lots of wonderful youth that I work with,' Mitch Bourbonniere says
A Winnipeg activist and mentor for at-risk youth says the intentions behind police Chief Danny Smyth's comments about the child-welfare system were good but could stigmatize young people in care.
"My thought is that Chief Smyth … wanted to bring to light some awareness to what's going on out there, and almost pleading for more help for these kids. My only worry is that there are 10,000 children in care, and I worry about how they're feeling today," Mitch Bourbonniere said Friday morning.
"It's a very, very small number of youth that are doing these behaviours, and I wouldn't want all current kids in care — and former kids in care — to be painted in that way."
Smyth held a news conference on Thursday at which he listed a string of violent and random robberies in the city. He then took the rare step of saying they appear to have been carried out mainly by youth living in group or foster homes through the provincial Child and Family Services system.
Four people were targeted in four separate attacks from Sunday to Tuesday. Police believe the attacks were connected with four teens and a 20-year-old man who know each other, Smyth said.
"All of them were in care, were in the system. None of them seem to come from stable homes."
Bourbonniere, who has spent three decades working with youth in the justice system and CFS care and is a recipient of the Order of Manitoba for his efforts, says the chief's comments risk misrepresenting many people involved in the child-welfare system.
"My heart goes out to the victims of these crimes for sure. These crimes are awful … so I certainly want to acknowledge the victims in these cases."
But it's also important to acknowledge all the youth in care and what they go through, he said.
"There's lots and lots and lots of wonderful youth that I work with that don't involve themselves in that behaviour," Bourbonniere said.
"I also want to honour the workers that look after our kids. They do it for low pay and they work hard and they do their best, but you can't lock kids down. If they're going to go, if they're going to run, if they're going to be out there, you can't stop that."
Sherry Gott, the Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth, also expressed concern for the victims of the recent crimes. She agreed not all kids in care deserve to be grouped with those causing trouble, but said the latter cohort is growing.
"We do see it frequently enough that it's a concern," she said.
While the issue is complex, there are some commonalities among those struggling in care, Gott said. Many have inter-generational impacts from the effects of colonization, while the CFS system bounces them from placement to placement, leaving them without a constant and stable home.
A stable environment is more likely to keep them in school and out of trouble, she said.
The office of the advocate has been urging the government for years to provide more resources for kids in care, Gott said, but she didn't mention anything specific, other than mental health supports.
"We [also] need preventative measures to help children and youth cope with the impacts of their lived experiences," she said.
In a news release Friday, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and the First Nations Family Advocate Office called for "significant changes in policies and practices to address the interconnectedness between Child and Family Services and the justice system."
Manitoba's CFS system fails to provide the nurturing and guidance essential for children's well being, AMC Grand Chief Cathy Merrick says in the release.
The statement also says the the existing system is plagued by a chronic lack of resources and support for caregivers, leaving vulnerable young people without the stability and guidance necessary for healthy development.
The AMC-FNFAO will establish a youth advisory group comprising First Nations youth with lived experiences to gain deeper insight into the connection between CFS and justice system involvement, the release said. The group will facilitate focus groups with their peers and contribute to shaping recommendations for systemic change, according to the release.
Bourbonniere is a founding member of the original Bear Clan Patrol and currently part of the Downtown Community Safety Partnership as well as Ogijiita Pimatiswin Kinimatwin, which works with Indigenous men involved in gangs and the criminal justice system.
He is a big supporter of action therapy, an approach that offers mentorship, support and advocacy to youth through a dedicated therapist. There are four or five groups in the province that offer it, Bourbonniere said.
It's a blueprint that works well but there just aren't enough mentors and therapists to fill the need.
"We can only do this with a select few youth in our city," he said.
"What we're needing is folks to receive these youth, these at-risk youth in the community, and be with them, work with them, spend time with them, keep them busy, keep them doing positive things in the community so that they are not getting involved in, basically, thuggery."
Every child needs a champion, a relative or family friend, who can be there for them, Bourbonniere said.
Ideally, that person would be there to help the youth through crises but also engage them in meaningful community activities — activism, volunteerism, walking with the Bear Clan.
"Just involving themselves in helping out … learning to be good people. It's having someone in your corner that you can rely on," Bourbonniere said.
"There's lots of families that are struggling with their young people and not being able to keep them home, so they're out there and they're getting into trouble. Parents are continuously calling me begging for help for their teenagers.
"It's not just a CFS issue."
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With files from Alana Cole and Zubina Ahmed