3 Sask. First Nations now have emergency safe houses to keep kids in their community

Keeping children safe and in their home community is the goal of emergency safe housesrecently opened in three First Nations in central Saskatchewan.

The safe houses owned and operated by Kanaweyimik Child andFamily Servicesand arein Mosquito Grizzly Bear's Head Lean Man First Nation, Saulteaux First Nationand Sweetgrass First Nation.

"Over the years we've always struggled with finding placement for children that need emergency care,"said Marlene Bugler, executive director of Kanaweyimik Child andFamily Services.

"We have an elders council that advises us on the services we provide and their direction was always to do what's best for the children.Keeping the children home, if not in their family home then at least in their community."

The houses operate 24/7 with a live-in house parent to take children in when needed up to five at a time and the children can stay there until another placement isfound.

She said in the past when they struggled to find placements in emergency situations, siblings often had to be separated. Now,the new safe houses allow forthem to stay together within their own community.

The houses will also help during overnight emergency situations, becauseinstead of calling and waking up family members in the middle of the night, children can be taken to the safe houses untilmorning, when they can be picked up by a family member.

"It's not like we have a lot of children in care," said Bugler.

"We average maybe 10 per community in care at any time because we really work hard at keeping the children and the families together."

The safe houses also have a family suite for domestic violencesituations that can fit up to five children and a parent.

Bugler said in the past they would need to remove children from homes dealing with domestic violencebecause there weren't other alternatives to keepthe children safe.

"[Now] we don't have to apprehend the kids and then we can continue to work with the family to come up with a plan to deal with the issue that they're encountering," she said.

"It's two-fold, a benefit for the children and a benefit for the families experiencing domestic violence."

She said one of the major causes of children coming into care is addiction; through the homesthey are going to be working with the parents to tackle those issues.She said the safe houses can be used to offer a place for children to go while parents attend treatment.

"We want the kids to remain in their parental home more than anything else," she said.

"It's a benefit to the whole community."

'Kids need a safe place to sleep'

Jenny Spyglass, an elder, said it made her happy to attend the grand opening of the emergency safe house on Mosquito Grizzly Bear's Head Lean Man First Nation.

Spyglass said the safe houses are important for the community, because they not only provide safety for the childrenbutlove and care.

"My biggest hope is that they will learn their language, they know their culture, and they knowthey're loved," she said.

She said at the grand opening she got to see children coming into the safe house, and that they weren't scared to be there.

"I know they missed their parents, but you know, parents have to realize, too, that little kids need a safe place to sleep in and to be happy," she said.

"The children are precious and they were given to us for a reason."