Thank you, Chair.
I have a fair amount of experience on the indigenous front. It is often a dark story, but there are some extraordinary young people we've seen. I live in a little working-class town, so we get to know most of the kids.
One of my concerns, which I've always felt, is that, for children who were in the foster care system, it was almost as if there was a mark that wasn't stated. When they needed extra help at school, it was “well...you know.” If they got in trouble with the police, it was “well...you know.” They didn't have the love that they needed.
I've known some of these young people and seen them grow up. I was in a youth group with some of them. Some of them are extraordinary. However, there's that need to have someone in your corner.
Ms. Eisner, if you don't mind.... I don't want to pry, but you speak with a lot of young people.
For the older children in the system, how important is it to know that, when something happens at school or when something happens, someone is there, that an adult is going to be there to have their backs, tell them they are loved and say, “You know what? Don't worry about it. It's just another day at school. You're going to be amazing.”
It's that extra bit of support. I'm not saying it's not there with foster parents, but that's my general impression from the kids I knew growing up.