African Nova Scotian Families (ANS)
Strong Communities Make Strong Families; Prevent Entry into the Child Welfare System
African Nova Scotian Families and Communities Remain Strong with:
- A sense of community & intergenerational bonds.
- Resilience to diverse forms of oppression.
Did You Know That...
- Canada has a problem with anti-Black racism. This results in overrepresentation of children of African descent in the child welfare system.
- Some other contributing factors include: overrepresentation, racialized poverty, immigration stress, lack of cultural awareness, family placement dynamics, policy impacts, & a lack of culturally-relevant services.
Child welfare social workers need to...
- Understand that African Canadian families are wary of child welfare workers.
- Help families access alternative sources of support.
- Build trust & credibility within the community.
- Prevent entry into the child welfare system.
- Minimize trauma to children and families.
- Take cultural safety training to avoid misinterpreting cultural parenting practices.
- Consider that ANS have parenting practices in their cultural upbringing & racial experiences.
- First make placements with family or in the community members if apprehension is unavoidable.
- Understand their role in addressing structural, community, & individual barriers so that ANS families do not enter the child welfare system. These barriers include Eurocentric policies, lack of access in rural communities, stereotyping, & difficulty navigating the child welfare system.
- Recruit Black social workers in all aspects of child welfare.
Other Communities Overrepresented in the Child Welfare System...
- Are Urban Indigenous & immigrant and refugee communities, which often face similar challenges to ANS here in HRM.
- Have common strengths of culture as well as close family & community ties.
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