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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
In a system designed to protect children, it's hard not to pit the parents of children taken into protection against those who are taking the children – but Simone Fournel trusts the system and said knows parents and social workers can co-operate for the benefit of the children.

Simone Fournel, director of child and family services for the Department of Health and Social Services, sits in her downtown Yellowknife office. There are highs and lows to her profession, but in the end she believes her job is necessary to uphold the standards society has set. - Tim Edwards/NNSL photo

"We've, as a society, agreed that a child has the right to live free from harm," she said. "We've agreed that their wellness and safety to us is important."

Fournel is the director of child and family services for the NWT Department of Health and Social Services. Her career in social work has spanned 13 years, the last eight of which have been in the North.

She's seen the bitterness that can erupt between parents and the system, but she's had great relationships with some parents who've seen their children placed in permanent care and recognized it was the best choice for their children. And – in moments where her job gives her the greatest reward – she's seen parents change, sometimes overcoming addictions, so they can care for their children and keep their family together.

"It's amazing to watch that journey," said Fournel. "There's nothing more satisfying, because you're keeping a family together and seeing someone walk away improved."

But with great reward comes great difficulty, and sometimes danger – a social worker may walk into a home alone where there's drug use and intoxication, firearms or parties, among other risky situations.

"Just because things appear fine on the outside doesn't mean they're fine on the inside," said Fournel, adding that RCMP are "absolutely" available to assist workers, but sometimes no one can predict what they are walking into. Even if it isn't physically dangerous, the environment can often be hostile.

"The workers frequently are subjected to harassment, verbal name-calling," she said.

As well, with the power to apprehend children for their safety comes the responsibility of wielding that power correctly and with the best judgment possible. It's a decision not taken lightly by any stretch, according to Fournel.

"I did that front-line work for a lot of years, and to go down the road of apprehension you need to feel really strongly that you couldn't have done something differently," said Fournel. "So, I couldn't have found a family member, I couldn't have just put some safety plan in place. I had to feel that I've exhausted any options that I could think about, that my supervisor could think about or something was so imminently risky."

She cited the example of finding a child completely abandoned – a situation where she would not hesitate in bringing a child into protection.

Whatever the circumstances of the child, there are several options available to the social worker, including leaving the child in their home and working with parents on a plan to address concerns, bringing the child to another family member, or apprehension. The latter route often puts the social worker in a tough spot in dealing with the parents.

"Particularly in the early days (parents) aren't necessarily thinking logically," said Fournel. "They're thinking with their heart – I mean, this is horrible, hard stuff when you take people's children, and no matter what challenges a person is going through there is no doubt in my mind that these parents love those kids."

She said it's possible to have a good relationship with parents and she has had great experiences, but sometimes personalities conflict or there are other circumstances that just don't allow that to happen. One route Fournel has often taken has been that of keeping the parents informed of their rights and everything that was happening in their case.

"I didn't want there to be any secrets, or secrets about the level of power that I had, because you know that there is a power imbalance," she said.

At the same time as dealing with a family, the child protection worker can be dealing with the courts -- an option available to parents who disagree with what is happening. In doing so, the worker often prepares all the preliminary legal work and presents the case to the court on their own.

"It's an independent confirmation that – we think there's a problem, we want somebody who's not biased to look at the facts and either agree with us or say no," she said. "It allows people that impartial confirmation."

Sometimes a plan is worked out, but sometimes things can drag on. Fournel said there are instances when families take their plight to the media, leaving the social workers involved handcuffed.

"We have no capacity to respond -- we're bound by legislation and confidentiality," she said. "Typically, there's two sides of every story, and if people were to hear the other side they might say, well, OK, things that were discussed from that person's perspective may be their truth, but it may not be the truth."

At the end of the day, Fournel is confident that the system she works in is a good one. And she knows that every one of the approximately 75 child protection staff members in the NWT – including front-line workers who can be on call 24/7 to help in crisis situations or assist elders and children with disabilities in communities – care deeply about what they do and are in the job to help people. Sometimes, even if children must be removed from their homes, the end can be rewarding.

"I've heard children who've been through it saying, 'thank goodness somebody stepped in,'" she said.

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