Child, Youth, and Family Services
Protecting Our Children and Youth
The AMO Society provides child and youth protection services for the Louis Bull Tribe. The role of the family is to ensure the best interests and wellbeing of an Awasisahk are met. Each child is a sacred bundle, and as such the family must safeguard the Awasisahk’s wellbeing, and in doing so may raise the child in their traditions, culture, values, language, and kinship. If a family is unable to reasonably safeguard and promote the wellbeing of the Awasisahk, they may be taken in for the Awasisahk’s best interests. If an Awasisahk is taken in, contact with their family should be encouraged, and the intention should be to return the child to their family with a safety plan in place.
Every Awasisahk has an inherent and basic right to:
- Healthy food, water, shelter, clothing and health care;
- Be protected and supervised to assure their safety and health; and
- Receive nurturing, appropriate cultural teachings and quality education.
Every Awasisahk has an inherent and basic right to:
- Healthy food, water, shelter, clothing and health care;
- Be protected and supervised to assure their safety and health; and
- Receive nurturing, appropriate cultural teachings and quality education.
The AMO Society steps in to promote both the respect and well treatment of an Awasisahk in order to ensure their best interests are being met. An Awasisahk must be protected from harm and abuse, and as such the Awasisahk’s parent/guardian will be evaluated for their ability to protect the child from harm and abuse, provide for their needs, and nurture them. All relationships are evaluated on the believed harm to a child from either taking the Awasisahk in or providing resources to the parent/guardian.
If the parent/guardian decides to accept voluntary support services, the AMO Society may enter into an agreement to provide programs and services to assist the parent/guardian in caring for the Awasisahk. These services may include:
- Elders cultural support and guidance
- Professional counselling
- In-home support
- Respite care
- Parenting programs (including Cree traditional parenting)
- Improving the Family's financial situation
- Improving the Family’s housing
- Drug or alcohol treatment and rehabilitation
- Mediation of disputes
- Illness assistance
- Other services agreed to by the AMO Society
If voluntary services do not suffice in protecting the wellbeing of the Awasisahk, they may be in need of protection. An Awasisahk needs protection if they are at risk of suffering physical, mental, emotional, psychological, sexual, or spiritual harm inflicted by the Awasisahk’s parent/guardian.kinship/family or caused by the parent/guardian’s unwillingness or inability to care and provide for the Awasisahk. If an Awasisahk has not been provided the necessities of life that could injure or impair them, are at risk of sexual molestation or exploitation,, is demonstrating severe mental illness consistent with emotional harm, or has been abandoned or orphaned without adequate care, the Awasisahk is in need of protection.
Anyone who has information that an Awasisahk is in need of protection has a duty to report without delay, either to an Awasisahk Protection worker, the RCMP, or an Authorized Person. All information collected in a report is confidential and any reports can remain anonymous. After a report has been made, the situation will be assessed and investigated, and the child may be taken in under the law with a temporary intake file. Under the AMO Society Law, every effort will be made to create a custom care program for the Awasisahk that will provide for the wellbeing of the Awasisahk with limited disruption. An Awasisahk Protection Worker will take every necessary step to ensure the best interests of the Awasisahk are met.
If you believe an Awasisahk is in danger and need of protection, do not hesitate to report. It is your duty to report on any Awasisahk who may need protection, and failure to do so will result in being subject to the Tribe’s strictly enforced measures.
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