Former foster parent says 6-year-old's death in Shamattawa First Nation was preventable, calls for inquiry

The former foster parent of asix-year-old boy who went missing and was later found dead in a northeastern Manitoba community is calling for an inquiry into his death.

Johnson Redhead was reported missing to RCMPin Shamattawa First Nation shortly after noon lastWednesday. Following a large-scale search, his body was found Sunday night in amarshy areaabout three and a half kilometres from the school where he was last seen.

Brittany Bannerman fostered Johnson Redhead in 2020, until a kinship placement was arranged two years ago that allowed his close relatives to take care of him.

Bannerman, who chairs the diversity committee of the Manitoba Foster Parent Association, wants aninquiry, which she said would address ongoing systemic gaps in Manitoba's child and family services, the education system, family support programs and health-care services.

"The Redhead family is facing devastation. I cannot express the heartbreak that is going through all of his parents, his aunties, his uncles, his siblings and honestly his entire community," she told CBC on Tuesday.

Bannerman says she received permission from Johnson's family to advocate for an inquiry.

The six-year-old had autism and was nonverbal.His death was preventable, and raises concerns aboutthe lack of co-ordinated care and safety protocols to help children with complex needs in northern Manitoba, said Bannerman.

RCMP previously said Johnson was last seen around 9 a.m. on Sept. 18, when he attended a breakfast program at school in Shamattawa First Nation, about 750 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. Hedidn't show up to class after that, and was reported missing around 12:30 p.m.

Searchers in the community immediately began combing wooded areas, trails, roads and sheds and checking construction equipment, Mountiessaid.

Members of Manto Sipi Cree Nation, Garden Hill First Nation, Pimicikamak Cree Nation, Tataskweyak Cree Nation and Mathias Colomb Cree Nation helped in the search, which also included personnel from the 4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, Winnipeg Volunteer Search and Rescue, RCMP search and rescue, andthe Office of the Fire Commissioner.

A police dog,two drones and a helicopter were also used in the search.

Family struggled to find respite care

Bannerman said Johnson'sfamily loved him deeply but struggled to find respite care.

She wants details from the school about how he ended up going missing, and wants the child welfare system heldaccountable to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

"Had he had proper one-on-one supports supervising him at the school breakfast program to ensure that he made it to class, and proper one-on-one supports in a classroom, Johnson would have never went missing," Bannerman said.

"The access to educational assistants and those sorts of supports are in dire need, especially in northern Manitoba, and while I would love to say that all of the Winnipeg schools are better, they're not. We have a shortage of educational assistants and of proper funding for supports provincewide."

The Awasis Agency of Northern Manitoba, which oversees child and family services in Shamattawa First Nation, declined to comment.

In a written statement, a spokesperson for the province said "all of Manitoba is grieving the loss of Johnson Redhead," but thatdue to the ongoingRCMP investigation and out of respect for the privacy of the boy's family, "we cannot provide any more information at this time."

Should have had supports: children's advocate

Sherry Gott, theManitoba Advocate for Children and Youth, said Johnson's death is "devastating."

"In this case, there should have been some disability supports" from the provincial and federal governments "for the family, for Johnson to thrive," saidGott, whose officeadvocates forchildren in care and can investigate injuries and deaths involving those children.

Her office is gatheringinformation to see what services were in place for Johnson when he died, but it's too soon to say if they'll launch an investigation into his death, she said.

Both Gott and Bannerman said Johnson's case brings to mind thesystemic gaps that led to the death of five-year-old Jordan River Anderson, from Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba.

He died in hospital in 2005 while the provincial and federal governmentsdisputedwho would pay for the care he needed at home for his multiple disabilities. His death led to the creation of Jordan's Principle, whichsaysthat all First Nations children, living on or off reserve, must have equitable and timely access to all public services,without bureaucratic delays.

"I guess the province didn't learn enough from the death of Jordan River Anderson. We know that Jordan River Anderson was a child with complex needs, and he needed all the supports," said Gott.

Supports from the provincial and federal government "should be in place no matter who you are," she said.

Bannermanalso said the community wants to ensure search and rescue teams can be launched when needed "at the drop of a hat,"that there is consistent cellphone service in Shamattawa, and that educational supports are in place so parents and guardians can feel safe sending their kids to school.

She said the provincial and federal governments continue to underfund the education, health-care and child and family welfare systems.

She also said there is no mandatory training to helpfoster parents, customary care providers or kinship placements in the province, leaving caretakers to fend for themselves.

The RCMPsaid Sunday theirinvestigation into Johnson's death is continuing.