Nova Scotia ends use of controversial birth alerts but calls for change persist
Nova Scotia has announced it will immediately cease the use of birth alerts — a practice widely condemned for targeting people of colour — as it shifts toward a preventative system that supports families early on.
But an advocate reacting to the change Tuesday said there is still work to be done in Nova Scotia, which was one of the last provinces to still use the controversial alerts wherein a newborn can be seized.
‘This announcement is overdue, so we're not applauding it,’ said Martha Paynter, founder of Wellness Within, a registered non-profit organization in Halifax that works to advance reproductive health, social justice and prison abolition.
Child welfare services issue a birth alert to hospital staff if they believe an expectant person is high risk and their newborn may need protection.
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