Brooklynn McWilliam-Fraser has been in foster care for as long as she can remember.
“I’ve been in foster care since I was six, so I’ve been in and out of different homes my whole life,” McWilliam-Fraser said.
She was invited to Sherelyn Lupian’s house when she was 14 years old.
“Without being placed in her home, I might not be where I am now,” McWilliam-Fraser said.
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‘The bond has been broken’: Data shows Indigenous children are over-represented in foster care
She is a successful artist with great aspirations.
“Sherelyn’s foster home was one of the first homes where I forgot I was in foster care.”
The two nurtured a loving family relationship.
Sherelyn Lupian was a foster parent to Brooklynn McWilliam-Fraser.
Jill Croteau/Global News
“We have to work with our heart and soul,” Lupian said. “It’s like an investment for children. If no one would open their house, where would they go?”
She supported the teenager, now 19, to explore her indigenous roots.
“It helped me find my identity and go pick sage. They provide you with smet kits and go to pow wows and go to drumming and beading workshops,” McWilliam-Fraser said.
Together they encourage other families to consider helping.
“If parents are willing to take a step and a big leap of faith and be courageous for this youth, they make a direct impact in the indigenous community. It’s part of reconciliation,” McWilliam-Fraser said.
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Wood’s homes help place foster children and one of his critical initiatives is connecting families with their culture. This is the whole concept of what is referred to as Home Fire Keepers. These therapeutic caregivers are desperately needed, especially for adolescents.
“You look at the ’60s Scoop and residential schools and these kids, if it wasn’t for colonization and historical events, a lot of us wouldn’t be in these homes, we’d be with our families,” McWilliam-Fraser said. said.
“Sometimes people have to take chances and have patience and empathy. It can make a big difference.”
“It’s so rewarding. We are doing something,” Lupian said. “We don’t just look after them with food and shelter, we can have an impact in their lives.
“We have support from Wood’s Homes and that helps a lot.”
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Cheryl Bobb works with youth and foster families at Wood’s Homes. She said taking a teenager into your home is a game changer for them.
“We want to provide a homely environment, that’s what they need. They need to learn to live in a home and be part of a family instead of living in a group home with staff,” Bobb said.
“It takes a village to raise a child and we can provide a whole continuum of care,” Bobb said.
The organization supports Home Fire Keepers by surrounding them with a team of specialists, cultural leaders and allies, as well as elders and knowledge holders.
Tye Rhyno heads the Indigenous Initiatives program for Wood’s Homes.
“There’s an effort to be back and to repair and to reclaim and to have reconciliation with Native children and families,” Rhyno said.
He said it makes a significant difference.
“Their identity is being celebrated in a way that it wasn’t before and they can be reflective of where they come from.”
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