There is nothing in this world Bethany Atlookan wants more than her children back in her care.
The young mother of two was one of about 30 people outside of Dilico Anishinabek Family Care Friday morning rallying on behalf of parents unable to see their children because of the ongoing strike at the child welfare agency.
“I’d give up everybody and everything just to have them home with me,” said an emotional Atlookan.
“They were my world. They were my life. They were my strength. After I lost them, I just went right down.”
Atlookan’s children were taken into care by Dilico on Jan. 28 after she called the agency asking for help for depression.
“I remember the day exactly. It was the day my whole world fell apart,” she said.
For the past six months, Atlookan has been able to see her children once or twice a week. But now with workers on strike, she can’t see them at all.
“With the strike, there is nothing I can do about my children. I was told that straight up. I was told I have to wait for the strike to end in order to do something,” she said.
Workers at Dilico began striking Monday citing heavy caseloads and the way employees are paid for being on-call and their overtime as some of the main issues. The workers have been without a contract since March of last year.
Atlookan wasn’t the only mother rallying Friday. Chasity Barnard also can’t see her three children because of the strike.
Barnard was supposed to see her children Thursday. She even had pre-arranged rides for her children to come visit.
“I got a phone call Wednesday at 5:50 p.m. and she said all access is cancelled,” she said.
Barnard told the employee she had rides arranged and then never heard back from the agency.
“Yesterday was my visit day and I waited and waited and nobody called me and my kids didn’t show up,” she said.
The whole situation is upsetting, she added.
“I do everything for my kids and I only get to see them once a week,” she said. “My son is really hurting. I’m worried about my kids more.”
“My children are old enough to know they’re supposed to be seeing me on this day and that day and then it’s just nothing.”
Tannis Smith runs the Gaa Mino Bimaadiziwaad Counselling and Advocacy group and organized Friday’s rally.
She said they are concerned with what the children are being told now that most parents aren’t being able to visit their children during the strike.
She’s also heard from a lot of desperate parents.
“I’ve had people in this past week calling, crying, pretty upset, asking what can be done,” she said.
“They don’t know how long the strike is going on.”
Smith said the situation speaks to a much larger issue of the child welfare system being broken.
“Children go into care and they don’t come out,” she said.
In 2003, there were 223 children in Dilico’s care. Now there are more than 900 in care in Thunder Bay and the district.
“It just keeps growing year after year after year. Something has to change,” Smith said.
