THUNDER BAY — Rocky Bay Child and Family Services has pressed pause on its services as the agency’s funding gets sorted out, acting director Marianne Fortier said Thursday.
Rocky Bay CFS advised Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek (BZA) members on social media Wednesday that “all programming effective May 13th will be ceased both in Thunder Bay and Rocky Bay until further notice.”
Members of BZA, the First Nation served by the agency, held rallies in support Thursday morning at the agency’s offices in Thunder Bay and Rocky Bay.
“Right now we’ve had to put certain supports and services on hold,” Fortier said.
The many services delivered by the Rocky Bay CFS’s dozens of employees include addiction support, youth outreach and “prevention intervention for families that are at high risk of becoming involved in the child welfare system,” she said.
“It’s all about preventing our kids from becoming involved in the child welfare system, to prevent (people) from becoming homeless on the streets or going to prisons and jail.”
A lot of provincial and federal funding has not been finding its way to the agency, former BZA chief Bart Hardy said.
“I’m really concerned about what’s going on with family services right now because it’s affecting a lot of people, not only the people that work for family services but the people that they service as well,” he said.
The BZA community getting control of child and family services instead of having them controlled and delivered by outsiders was a big win for the First Nation, he said.
“It’s a sad day when leadership is trying to interfere with those services that provide to membership.”
Current BZA Chief Gladys Thompson does not support the agency as she should, he said.
Newswatch reached out for comment from Thompson but received no reply.
“This agency has helped so many families stay together,” said Abigail De Leon, a BZA youth who helped Rocky Bay CFS deliver programming last summer.
“They don’t try to tear away the children from their families. They try to keep them in the homes and get the parents better for their kids,” De Leon continued.
“I know there’s one member in Rocky Bay who has been sober for two months and is able to see her child.”
The agency also has a vibrant summer program helping BZA children and youth stay connected with their community, she said.
Formerly known as Rocky Bay First Nation, BZA has a population of about 860, most of whom live off-reserve.