'It's an extremely thankless job'

More than one-third of Nunavut's social worker jobs sit empty.

Of 37 social worker positions, 22 are filled – 10 of which are held by Inuit. That leaves 15 jobs vacant.

Alex Campbell, Nunavut's deputy minister of social services, provided these numbers while members of the legislative assembly picked through his department's budget Feb. 25.

At the time, Campbell heard a familiar complaint: there aren't enough social workers in Nunavut.

In theory, each community is supposed to be served by a social worker. Communities not big enough to warrant a full-time social worker are supposed to be visited periodically by a travelling social worker.

But in practice communities go long stretches while these positions sit vacant. Hence the complaints from MLAs, such as James Arvaluk, MLA for Tunnuniq, who recently demanded that each community, "no matter how small" be given a social worker.

Creating more jobs may not help much, however, if the government can't fill them.

What may be remarkable is that Nunavut has as many social workers as it does, given the routine harassment and threats that come with the job.

After all, these are people whose jobs occasionally require them to take children from parents, following reports of abuse.

Social workers tell themselves they're acting in the best interests of children. But parents losing custody of their children rarely see it this way.

"It's an extremely thankless job," said Norm Murray, director of children and family services.

"I don't think there's one of them whose life has not been threatened. It's normal business."

Seizing a child from home is considered a last resort by social workers. It happens when they see abuse, and no sign that abuse will end soon.

Most the abuse they see is simple neglect: children who are hungry, filthy and poorly dressed.

Much the neglect stems from drinking. A parent may be too drunk to move while a small child is locked out of the house. Or too drunk to care for a baby.

Social workers encounter much of the same abuse as police. But, unlike police, social workers don't carry guns.

That's why, as a precaution, Murray often advises social workers to be accompanied by a police officer while entering a home to take a child.

When possible, social workers try to place children in the homes of extended family members.

But family often don't want to be involved, Murray said. They fear being blamed by the angry parents.

Murray sighs. So much for the best interest of children.

About 300 children receive some form of protection from Murray's department each year, he says. That's his best guess, based on a monthly average from January, 2006.

He doesn't have computerized records, although he's lobbied for such a system for years. As a result, the Government of Nunavut only has a vague idea of how many children it offers protection to each year.

Of those children, 18 were apprehended from their parents by social workers or police until the courts make a decision. Another 71 became wards of the state following a court ruling.

Not all child protection is intrusive and interventionist. During the same period, 58 children were placed in custody with the consent of their parents.

Another 111 children received support under voluntary agreements signed by parents who are not considered abusive, but still require help caring for children.

But much child protection is ordered by the courts.

In addition, 24 teens, between the ages of 16 and 18, were deemed unable to live with their parents and were placed in other homes.

And 37 children were removed from Nunavut. They had behavioral problems, or medical needs, for which the territory was unable to provide.

Of course, social workers do a lot more than take kids.

They may help mediate disputes between angry spouses. Or help a person with a shattered life who needs to speak with someone. Social workers listen.

Taking children is always the hard part. It's never pleasant. "It's all ugly," Murray said.

"If it doesn't hurt you to remove children from their parents, you're in the wrong business," he said. "It takes a little bit of your heart each time."

When a social worker leaves town, police often fill the vacuum and assume their duties.

Social workers in smaller communities are on call seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Given all they face, it's no wonder, from Murray's experience, that they rarely last two years on the job.

"You have to be a very specific kind of person to live with it, day in, day out," Murray said.