Manitoba foster parents fear families minister has blocked them
But recent attempts to reach Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine have them wondering if they've been blocked, following a reported trend of such behaviour.
Last week, a board member was concerned when she messaged the minister about a memorial event for children who have died in the child welfare system and her email didn't generate the usual auto-reply.
'(The board member) reached out to me and so I said, 'OK, I'll send it through the association email,'' association president Jamie Pfau says.
'I did that. And I sent it to other MLAs as well, received confirmation from other MLAs but not from minister of families. So then I tried with my business account and it went through, and I received a notification from minister of families through an entirely different email that has nothing to do with children and care.'
Story continues below advertisement
Pfau says she has corresponded with the minister as recently as April 2024 and doesn't know why emails would now not go through.
Get daily National news
Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
'That's anti-democratic as far as I'm concerned. You're preventing advocacy, you're promoting silence. It's a very dangerous path to go down,' says Pfau, who has raised eight foster children.
'I would understand if I used any type of aggressive or foul language or was unprofessional or inappropriate in any way, but I would be happy to share my 'sent' folder. There's absolutely nothing in there that would indicate any type of aggression or abuse or harassment. In fact, I don't necessarily email her very often. It's just to shine light on issues that are coming up regularly with foster parents.'
The last she heard from the minister was an emailed letter last year, which Global News has seen.
'Essentially, it's saying thank you for helping to support children in care but we're not looking for any particular advice, we're looking to Indigenous leadership and to decolonize child welfare,' Pfau said.
She didn't interpret that to mean communication would be cut off to the organization representing caregivers of the 10,000 kids in the system.
Neither Fontaine's office nor communications staff or the chief of staff for Premier Wab Kinew responded to Global News' emails looking for answers about the email situation.
Story continues below advertisement
On July 10, APTN News reported that Fontaine 'had blocked every member of the APTN news team on social media.'
That came after the news outlet caught Fontaine in a hot mic moment complaining about having to share a stage with a sign language interpreter.
The outlet reported that it eventually got a statement from the minister that said that 'immediately upon learning that journalists were blocked on my social media account I directed staff to reverse the decision.'
Jodie Byram, the Opposition critic for families and accessibility, said this type of behaviour 'isn't unusual.'
'When things get hot, heated or there might be some negative feedback input or comments made, (Fontaine) has a tendency to block all of that, making it very challenging for people who are involved in the child welfare system,' Bryam said.
Manitoba has the highest per capita rate of kids in care in Canada — around 10,000 at any given time.
The foster parents association says not being able to communicate with the minister responsible for these children makes their work that much harder.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
Travel from B.C. into U.S. falls again in July, but by less than prior months
Canadian travel into the U.S. at key British Columbia border crossings was down for the sixth consecutive month in July. But according to the data, published by Border Policy Research Institute, the year-over-year decline wasn't as steep as in previous months. The organization says 135,620 Canadian vehicles crossed into Washington state at the Peace Arch, Pacific Highway, Lynden and Sumas crossings last month, a 28-per cent drop over the same month in 2024. That's compared to a 43-per cent drop in June, a 47-per cent drop in May, a 51-per cent drop in April, and a 43-per cent drop in March. 1:49 Canadian border crossing numbers down in June The data comes as Canada's trade war with the United States shows no sign of resolving, after U.S. President Donald Trump raised tariffs to 35 per cent on goods that aren't compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement. Story continues below advertisement Canada is also facing 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum and steep new duties on softwood lumber. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Canadians have also voiced anger at Trump's repeated musings about making Canada the '51st state,' potentially through the use of 'economic force.' Highly publicized cases involving the detention of Canadians and other travellers have also deterred some would-be visitors from entering the U.S.
Global News
4 hours ago
- Global News
Carney says he's focused on building up Canada but talks with U.S. continue
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday Canadians are focused on building up their economy after U.S. President Donald Trump again hit nations around the world with increased tariffs — days after slapping Canada with a higher duty. Carney said there is a lot to do in Canada and his government is focused on 'what we can control.' 'Yes we are having discussions with the Americans but Canadians want us to focus here at home,' the prime minister told reporters in Ottawa. Trump escalated his trade war last week by hitting Canada with a baseline 35 per cent tariff that applies only to goods not covered by the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement on trade, better known as CUSMA. Just after midnight on Thursday, U.S. tariffs on goods from more than 60 other nations and the European Union were increased. The duties range from a low of 10 per cent to 50 per cent for Brazil. Story continues below advertisement 'BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TARIFFS ARE NOW FLOWING INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!' Trump posted on social media just after the duties took effect. 2:30 Business Matters: Trump's new tariffs on dozens of countries take effect The EU, Japan and South Korea — which have brokered trade agreement frameworks with the Trump administration — saw U.S. tariffs increase to 15 per cent. Bangladesh and Vietnam were hit with 20 per cent duties. Switzerland saw its tariff increase to 39 per cent. Nations are also being hit with Trump's separate tariffs on steel, aluminum, copper and automobiles. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy American tariffs are now at a level not seen in the U.S. in almost a century. The Budget Lab at Yale, a non-partisan policy research centre, has said Americans will see an average tax of 18.3 per cent on imported products, the highest rate since 1934. Story continues below advertisement Ontario Premier Doug Ford told media outlet CNN on Wednesday that 'a tariff on Canada is a tax on the American people.' 'This is hurting the American people,' Ford said, adding that Canada and other countries are 'diversifying our trade.' When asked how Canadians view Trump, Ford said he's 'probably the most disliked politician in the world in Canada because he's attacked his closest family member, and that's the way we look on it.' 'And when I talk to the governors, senators and congresspeople, even Republicans totally disagree, but they're too scared to come out and say anything because the president will go after them,' he added. 0:42 Ford calls Trump 'probably the most disliked politician in the world in Canada' Signs are emerging that Trump's tariffs are starting to drag down the American economy. After the release of a bleak jobs report last week, Trump fired the head of the agency that produces the monthly figures. Story continues below advertisement The U.S. Commerce Department said inflation was ticking slightly upward in June. The greatest hurdle facing Trump's ongoing efforts to realign global trade may be the courts. Last week, Trump's use of a national security statute for the so-called 'Liberation Day' duties and fentanyl-related tariffs faced tough questions from federal appellate judges in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The judges asked the Trump administration's lawyer about the president's use of the International Economic Emergency Powers Act of 1977 to impose duties — despite the fact that the word 'tariff' is found nowhere in the statute. No decision was issued from the bench last week but the pending ruling was clearly weighing on the president just before his global tariffs came into place. 'THE ONLY THING THAT CAN STOP AMERICA'S GREATNESS WOULD BE A RADICAL LEFT COURT THAT WANTS TO SEE OUR COUNTRY FAIL!' Trump posted on social media just before midnight. 2:06 Carney meets with cabinet, premiers on response to Trump's increased tariffs Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Thursday that Canada should maintain targeted tariffs to pressure the Americans to 'restore a true free-trading relationship.' Story continues below advertisement 'We need to narrowly target our counter-tariffs at things that maximize the impact on the Americans while minimizing impact on Canadians,' he told a press conference in Calgary. Carney told reporters earlier this week that he might lift some counter-tariffs if that helps Canada in the ongoing trade dispute. The Liberal government's approach has divided the premiers. Ford has said Ottawa should hit back hard with counter-tariffs, while Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has called for easing retaliatory measures. Poilievre slammed Carney for failing to get a deal by Trump's Aug. 1 deadline. 'He has made concession after concession to President Trump. He's been bending over backwards for the president and so far has gotten nothing in return,' he said. The Conservative leader pledged to introduce a bill in Parliament this fall to repeal a list of laws he said are blocking production and development. Poilievre will first have to win a seat in the House of Commons in an Aug. 18 byelection. —With files from Alessia Passafiume, Sarah Ritchie and The Associated Press
Global News
5 hours ago
- Global News
U.S. Air Force to deny retirement pay to long-serving transgender members
The U.S. Air Force said Thursday it would deny all transgender service members who have served between 15 and 18 years the option to retire early and would instead separate them without retirement benefits. One Air Force sergeant said he was 'betrayed and devastated' by the move. The move means that transgender service members will now be faced with the choice of either taking a lump-sum separation payment offered to junior troops or be removed from the service. An Air Force spokesperson told The Associated Press that 'although service members with 15 to 18 years of honorable service were permitted to apply for an exception to policy, none of the exceptions to policy were approved.' About a dozen service members had been 'prematurely notified' that they would be able to retire before that decision was reversed, according to the spokesperson who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal Air Force policy. Story continues below advertisement A memo issued Monday announcing the new policy, which was reviewed by the AP, said that the choice to deny retirement benefits was made 'after careful consideration of the individual applications.' All transgender members of the Air Force are being separated from the service under the Trump administration's policies. 1:29 Biden reverses Trump's transgender military ban Separation process has hit some bumps The move comes after the Pentagon was given permission in early May by the Supreme Court to move forward with a ban on all transgender troops serving in the military. Days later, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a policy that would offer currently openly serving transgender troops the option to either volunteer to leave and take a large, one-time separation payout or be involuntarily separated at later date. Story continues below advertisement A Pentagon official told reporters in May that they viewed the policy as treating 'anyone impacted by it with dignity and respect.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy However, in late July, transgender troops told that they were finding the entire separation process, which has included reverting their service records back to their birth gender, 'dehumanizing' or 'open cruelty.' Shannon Leary, a lawyer who represents LGBTQ+ people in employment discrimination cases, says she expects lawsuits to challenge Thursday's decision. 'It seems quite arbitrary on its face and cruel,' she said. 'These military members have dedicated their lives to serving our country.' Normally, Leary said, when early retirement is offered in the military, it's available to all members who have served over 15 years. She said she expects other service branches to follow the Air Force's path. One Air Force service member says he's 'devastated' Logan Ireland, a master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force who has 15 years of service, including a deployment to Afghanistan, is one of the airmen impacted by the policy. 'I feel betrayed and devastated by the news,' he said. Story continues below advertisement Ireland said he was told that his retirement was being denied on Wednesday when his chain of command, 'with tears in their eyes,' told him the news. 1:49 Transgender military member disappointed over Supreme Court upholding transgender ban Officials have said that as of Dec. 9, 2024, there were 4,240 troops diagnosed with 'gender dysphoria' on active duty, National Guard and Reserve. Pentagon officials have decided to use the condition and its diagnosis as the main way to identify troops who are trans. However, the two are not an exact match — not every transgender person has the condition. As a result, there is an understanding that the actual number of transgender people within the military's roughly 2 million troops may be higher. Under the latest policy, active duty troops had until June 6 to voluntarily identify themselves and receive a payout while troops in the National Guard and Reserve had until July 7. Pentagon officials previously told reporters that they plan to lean on commanders and existing annual medical screenings to find any transgender service members who do not come forward. Story continues below advertisement Associated Press writer Geoff Mulvihill contributed reporting.
