Indigenous NZ Practice Aims to Reunite Kids in Care with Families

A delegation from New Zealand, led by Katie Murray has travelled to Winnipeg to work with the Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre Inc. on reducing the number of children in foster care.

The delegation’s ‘Family Group Conferencing’ (FGC) approach is based on the practices of New Zealand’s indigenous Maori people.

“It’s too many. It’s too many for your province. The FGC process will stop a lot of that and hopefully … start working with some of those 11,000 children to reunite them with their families,” said Katie Murray, the CEO of a social service agency on the North Island of New Zealand.

The FGC approach includes working with members of the children’s extended family and support network to come up with a plan to try and keep the child with kin.

With the New Zealand approach the Ma Mawi Centre already was able to reunite 49 kids with their families. Murray and three other experts will help to extend the program.

“We’re here to support them, to change the statistic,” said Murray.

Article Source: CBC News, Chris Reid, November 09, 2015

Image Source: Facebook – Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre