Bringing Our Voice to Children and Families
Asubpeeschoseewagong Aankaanotamage’win
Grassy Narrows First Nation Child and Family Advocates
Asubpeeschoseewagong Aankaanotamage’win is the social services department for the Grassy Narrows community. We serve all members, both on-reserve and off: children, young people, adults, parents and caregivers. Our support is grounded in holistic Indigenous beliefs and practices.
Much of our work is in helping families dealing with Child and Family Services (CFS). We believe the best place for children is with family in their home community. We help people navigate the system and bring their children home. We also help families that are at risk of becoming involved with child welfare, and those in the process of reunification.
We help people of all ages to heal their trauma, create healthy relationships, and build a clear path for the future.
Our Mission
We believe in Aankaanotamage’win and families.
We aim to bring our children home and to reduce the number of our children in care.
We serve as a voice and provide advocacy and guidance to children, youth and parents as they navigate child and family systems.
We reduce barriers through home visits, family support, food security, transportation and more.
We make a difference and help our community to have mino bimaatiziiwin (a good Anishinaabe life).
Our Vision
Through Anishinaabe culture, unity, communication and partnerships, we reclaim our inherent jurisdiction to care for our children, and will ensure that all children remain at home among family and Asubpeeschoseewagong, and will have a healthy, purposeful life.
Our Goal
We aim to have every Asubpeeschoseewagong child at home in our community, in a safe familiar environment with family, friends and community leaders who support them.
How We Can Help
We have the same culture, traditions and beliefs as our clients. We have the same understanding of family. We can help clients overcome trauma, because we’ve helped others through it, and we understand.
CFS is a confusing, complicated system, but we provide professional advice. We help clients understand their rights, roles and responsibilities now, and farther along the process.
Clients trust us with their dreams and goals, and we help them create a better tomorrow.
We could:
- create immediate solutions
- assist with paperwork, transportation & food security
- advocate in meetings with CFS, EIA, housing, schools, etc.
- discuss birth alerts, kinship care, legal aid, visits & orders
- refer to other organizations for support & therapy
- create connections with Elders, experts, friends & resources
- teach parenting & life skills
- provide strength & grounding through traditional ceremonies
Our clients have:
- less stress
- a plan for right now & into the future
- support from people who believe in them
- the goal of mino bimaatiziiwin (a good Anishinaabe life)