Nunavut parents must protect children: Fraser

Parents and communities in Nunavut must take more responsibility for the welfare of the territory's children, says federal Auditor General Sheila Fraser.

Fraser was in Iqaluit on Thursday to discuss her latest report, which severely criticizes Nunavut's Health and Social Services Department for failing to protect children in foster care or in troubled families.

Released last month, the report found that the department often placed children in foster homes withoutconducting criminal record checks on the adults living in those homes.

Fraser's report also said the Health and Social Services Department did not keep adequate records about the children it has in care, and a third of the territory's social worker positions were vacant.

The department has said it is putting better measures in place and trying to hire more social workers, butofficials warn that improvements will take time.

Fraser told a committee of MLAs on Thursday afternoon that the government can only do so much, as Nunavummiut must take responsibility for their own children.

Engage parents, communities, Fraser says

"Although the department has an important role to play, parents are primarily responsible for the protection and well-being of their children," Fraser told the committee.

"In our view, it is important for the department to engage parents and communities, to identify what issues need to be dealt with, and to find solutions."

Fraser's report noted that children and youth in Nunavut face social issues much more acutely than in the rest of Canada.

For example, the rate of sexual abuse against children in Nunavut is 10 times higher than in all of Canada, while the rate of violence against children and youth is four times the national rate, according to figures cited in the report.

"Very young children, victims of sexual abuse, the rates of suicide I mean, these sorts of things are really going to affect the future of Nunavut if they're not resolved," Fraser told CBC News in an interview.

Nunavut has a young, growing population and it faces many challenges, including overcrowded housing, substance abuse and violence. Those factors put children at a higher risk of abuse, Fraser said.

Communities urged to discuss issues

Fraser said more work should be done in ensuring families are healthy and prompting communities to discuss solutions to the social issues they face.

"Government can try to protect children when they're at risk, but it's really up to the parents and the communities to ensure that children aren't at risk," she said.

Nattilik MLA Jeannie Ugyuk, a former social worker, told CBC News that people should first speak out against child abuse.

While Fraser appeared before the legislative committee, some MLAs brought up the territorial government's current review of the Child and Family Services Act, saying the legislation should better incorporate Inuit values about the handling of children.

Fraser agreed that that is important, but she added that measures should also be put in place so action can be taken to protect vulnerable children when necessary.

Credit corporation's books approved

While in Iqaluit, Fraser also announced that she has approved the financial statements of the Nunavut Business Credit Corp. a Crown corporation that was the subject of a highly critical audit.

A 2007 audit by Fraser identified a "serious breakdown" at the credit corporation, which handles millions of dollars in loans to Nunavut business ventures.

Loans were seriously mismanaged, documents detailing many loans were missing, and numerous transactions broke the laws and regulations by which the corporation was bound, according to the audit.

Since Fraser's audit was released, she had refused to give her stamp of approval on the credit corporation's financial statements.

But on Thursday, Fraser said the Crown corporation has been able to turn things around with a new staff and a strong board of directors.

"I think that it's really impressive not only that they fixed all of this, but they did it so quickly," she said.

"I really was very skeptical that it could be done this quickly, but I think they've done a remarkable job and I give them a lot of credit for that."

As her term as auditor general winds down, Fraser said despite all of the critical reports she has issued in Nunavut over the years, she still feels optimistic about the young territory's future.