Kim and Jordan Joseph left Prince Rupert on July 27 as part of a walk to raise awareness for youth in care of the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD).
The pair have four children in ministry care and they said there are significant flaws in the system, comparing it to a continuation of residential schools.
"They kept denying us our visits. They kept denying us even just talking to the children," Kim said.
"They tell our children that we were not even trying," Jordan added. They said they've been calling, texting and visiting offices to try to get the information they need to get their children back or at the very least to get time to visit them.
Among the pair's top concerns was their children not having access to education about their Indigenous culture.
"They're not allowing us to do our culture. MCFD is literally saying 'no'. They won't accept our culture as part of the healing process," Kim said. They said while there is some access to Indigenous cultural teachings, they have no say in who does the teaching or how it is taught.
The pair said they provided the names of trustworthy family members to the ministry out of hopes they would be able to take them in until they are deemed by the ministry as ready to be parents. None of those people were contacted by the ministry, the pair said.
"They're pushing our children from Prince Rupert back towards the Prince George-Vanderhoof area. We're telling them we're going to be living in Terrace and we want our children placed there, but they're denying us on all of that," Kim said. They're concerned that their children might be sent to the south of the province or even out of B.C. entirely.
While on their walk they had a virtual meeting with MCFD, Kim and Jordan invited their supporters to watch the meeting. Kim said in a livestream on their Facebook page she was repeatedly muted and eventually hung up by the ministry.
While on their walk they've passed through places with MCFD offices and tried to speak with them. They say one person briefly met with them, but it wasn't substantial.
"They're not giving any of us any hope of being anything more than what they're saying we are," she said.
They've seen substantial support throughout their travel. Walking into Quesnel down highway 97 near the airport, a group met with them wearing Indigenous jingle dress regalia. The pair gave them their shakers and drums to help walk them into town with a large "Every Child Matters" banner being carried with them.
"We didn't catch any names. I think they were just too excited to see us and we were excited to see them," Kim said.
They reunited with those people at a drumming circle at the Quesnel MCFD office. Members of the Indigenous communities in the area, including Nazko Chief Leah Stump, drummed and sang traditional songs in support of them. Kim wore one of the jingle dress regalia.
They've been excited to have people join them for stretches of the walk and have been thankful to all those who opened their homes to them. They've had people make them home-cooked meals, had people help them fix flat tires on the support car as they walk and heard others' emotional stories.
"It's getting harder to keep our smiles up," Jordan said. "Hearing all the sad stories, it's really starting to get hard." But he, said, those hard stories are part of what's keeping them going on their walk.
They said they've met many people who were affected by residential schools, either personally or through their family. They said a lot of those people along the way didn't get the support they needed and have been left in difficult situations.
Throughout their walk one of them has been driving slowly while the other walks. In spite of alternating who's at the wheel and who's on foot, they have sore legs and blistered feet. But they'll continue their walk to Vancouver, hoping to meet with representatives of MCFD there. If they aren't successful, they'll move onto the office in Victoria.
In an email statement Minister of Children and Family Development Grace Lore said she cannot comment on specific family situations due to confidentiality.
"Children and youth in our province need and deserve safety, love and connection, and well-being whether they’re at home or in the care of the ministry," the statement said. "Anyone who has concerns about the well-being of a child or their treatment should reach out directly to their social worker, their community or regional office."
Families who feel they've been treated unfairly do have access to a complaint process. The MCFD website says people who have reached out to their social worker and there has been no resolution can call 877-387-7027 and ask to speak to a complaints specialist.
People can keep track of their progress on their Facebook page "Walking for all children in ministry care".
