Inquiry into suicides of 4 Indigenous teens says fear of child welfare system barrier to care

An investigation into the suicide deaths of four teens in Alberta warns that fear of the child welfare system among Indigenous families is a dangerous barrier to care for First Nations children in crisis.

The public fatality inquiry, led by Judge Danielle Dalton in October 2022, investigated the deaths of four young people from Maskwacis and its four First Nations communities between 2017 and 2020.

Dalton's 44 recommendations, if followed, would alter how Alberta's child welfare system determines when a minor is in need of intervention, secure new mental health supports for Indigenous children in crisis and institute new programs to carefully track the death toll.

None of the various government and health agencies named in the report have filed formal responses to the recommendations.