The meeting was open to the public, however employees and volunteers to the Children’s Aid Society were not permitted entry to protect the privacy of those seeking more information.
Beck was representing Canada Court Watch (CCW), an independent advocacy group pressing for accountability from the judicial and family law systems.
Beck was invited to bring awareness to the Six Nations community about what every parent’s legal rights are, and where the authority of a worker operating through Canada’s Child Protection Act ends.
According to the Canada Court Watch website, the group follows principles of fairness and justice in matters relating to the judicial system, separation, divorce and children.
Beck told the crowd there are three ways a child can be apprehended by the CAS. Two common ways are through a voluntary service agreement with parents and the agency, or through a court order.
In extreme cases, or in the case of an emergency, a social worker with the Children’s Aid Society can remove a child without either one of these documents, but the action must be brought before a judge within five days to secure its status.
Some parents seeking help from CCW state they were tricked into signing temporary agreements, or lied to by social workers to get their children out the door. “What is happening with CAS today is not much different than what they did with the residential school system,” Beck told the crowd. “If you sign and were coerced you can have the service agreement rendered null and void. That is extortion. Extortion makes them null and void.” (more...)
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