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A Women's Legal Advocate Discusses the Problems Behind
Child Apprehension
The Downtown Eastside Women's Centre is a drop-in centre
for women and their children. We offer free food, showers,
a washer/dryer and a telephone, as well as social and recreational
programming, counselling, a volunteer program and advocacy
for women in the Downtown Eastside.
Here at the Centre, we see many women every day who have
had their children apprehended by the Ministry of Social Services.
Out role in working with a woman is to connect her with Legal
Aid and a lawyer and to support her through the court process.
Tragically, many of the women we see have to deal with child
apprehension - often because of poverty, violence and racism.
Most of our Centre members are living way below the poverty
line. According to the National Council on Welfare, the 1992
total average income for a single parent with one child on
assistance in B.C. was $13,075. The poverty line was set at
$20,569, which means that single parents were living with
64% of the money which they need to live on. Single moms end
up being blamed for failing to provide their children with
what they need. Women are told by Social Services, the justice
system, teachers and/or neighbours, to buy proper shoes for
their children, to buy the proper sized mattress for the bed
frame, and to provide healthy and nutritious meals - yet,
often they cannot find the money to obtain these items.
Violence is a reality in many women's lives. Many women
who come to the Centre are survivors of physical and sexual
violence. They may have been physically or mentally abused
as children by family members or neighbours, and/or they may
have been abused as adults by partners or strangers. Many
women have also been victimized by people in positions of
authority. Women who have learned violence as a way of wielding
power and expressing anger need support to be effective parents.
Racism is an integral part of our society and our institutions.
Many native women we see at the Centre have had to live with
and survive in the face of this racism.
In my time as an advocate at the Centre, I have met some
amazing women - strong, resourceful, intelligent and talented.
Racism, poverty and violence all play an active role in threatening
the mental and physical health of women, and leading to apprehension
of children by the Ministry. It is a real testimony to the
strength of these women that they carry on as mothers, both
with and without their children, in the face of these barriers.
Karen Spears, Welfare and Legal Advocate
Downtown Eastside Women's Centre
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