Child Protection Conference 2025

Course Chairs
Harshada Deshpande — Staff Lawyer, Parents Legal Center, Legal Aid BC, Vancouver
Jasmine Perhar — Feenie MacDonald, Vancouver

About the Course Chairs
Harshada Deshpande works on the traditional territories of the šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmaɁɬ təməxʷ (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh-ulh Temíx̱w (Squamish), and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ təməxʷ (Tsleil-Waututh) Peoples.

Harshada obtained her BA in Psychology and Criminology from SFU in 2011, her JD from UBC in 2014, and was called to the BC bar in 2017. Harshada has been a Staff Lawyer at the Vancouver Parents Legal Centre ("PLC") since 2018. In this role, she represents parents in child protection proceedings, with a focus on early and collaborative resolution. Prior to working at the PLC, Harshada was the Managing Lawyer at Battered Women's Support Services, where she provided legal advice and representation to self-identified women experiencing gender-based violence.

Jasmine Perhar obtained her JD from the University of Saskatchewan, College of Law.

She practiced at a private family law litigation firm where she represented individuals in family law disputes and parents in child protection proceedings. In 2020, Jasmine joined Feenie MacDonald as Counsel for the Director of Child, Family and Community Service. She now exclusively practices in the area of child protection law and represents the Director in child protection proceedings in Vancouver, North Vancouver, Pemberton and Squamish, including representing the Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society, the regional delegated Indigenous agency for Vancouver.

Jasmine is committed to collaborative practice and working with families to identify out of court solutions in child protection proceedings.

Welcome
Elder Xelemilh Doris Paul — Squamish Nation, North Vancouver

Doris – Xelemilh is a member of the Squamish Nation located on the North Shore. Her mom is/was Squamish Nation and her late father is/was Sechelt Nation; she honours both nations and calls both home.

Doris is a Residential School Survivor and is also the product of residential school. She attended the Sechelt Indian Residential School from 1962-73, and both parents also attended Sechelt Residential School.

Through the horrendous life experiences of being raised in residential school, she has managed to utilize her experience as a learning tool to help service providers understand the suffering and pain of the First Nations people. Service providers recognize her as the Cultural Navigator and seek her advice when working with First Nations on their client caseloads.

Opening Keynote
Justice Ardith (Wal-pet-ko We-dalx) Walkem — Supreme Court of BC, Chilliwack

Justice Ardith (Wal-pet-ko  We-dalx) Walkem of the Nlaka'pamux [Nt – La – Cup – Mux] Nation is the first Indigenous woman to serve as Justice of the Supreme Court of BC. Justice Walkem's work centered the Nlaka'pamux legal teachings she was trained in, and focused on recognition of Indigenous Peoples' rights, as well as human rights and the rights of children, including implementation of Indigenous laws to care for children. She completed her Master of Laws in the area of Indigenous laws.

Faculty
Judge Wendy Bernt — Provincial Court of BC, Smithers
Judge Nancy N. Phillips — Provincial Court of BC, Vancouver
Kristine P. All — Thorpe & Company Lawyers, Vancouver
Fiona M. Beveridge — Fiona Beveridge Family Law, Vancouver
Colin Ferguson — Ferguson Family Law, North Vancouver
Lori Frank, RRM — Director of Child Welfare Initiatives, Mediate BC, Vancouver
Katrina Harry, KC — Indigenous Services Manager, Legal Aid BC, Vancouver
Dawn Johnson — Mandell Pinder LLP, Vancouver
Tkwamipla7 Miranda Kimbasket — Councillor, Splatsin Nation, Enderby
Patricia L. MacDonald — Feenie MacDonald, Vancouver
Laura A. Matthews — Matthews Mediation, Mission
Rhonda McEachern — Jurisdictional Liaison Coordinator, Splatsin Stsmamlt Services, Enderby
Todd McPherson — Parents Legal Center, Legal Aid BC, Vancouver
Robert B. Morales — Chair, First Nations Summit Chief Negotiators Forum; Negotiator/Lawyer, Cowichan Tribes, Duncan
Crystal Reeves — Mandell Pinder LLP, Vancouver
Miscia Sullivan — Feenie MacDonald, Vancouver

Click here for full faculty bios

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Child and Family Services Law and Practice

Get the guidance you need to effectively practice child and family services law

This publication is essential for: practitioners who need guidance on the substantive law and procedure for child and family services matters and the contextual issues underlying this practice area

• chapters exploring governing laws and principles in child and family services law and highlighting Indigenous approaches and perspectives and the rights of children
• chapters addressing contextual matters and practice in child and family services law, including cultural humility, trauma-informed practice, Charter challenges and class actions as remedies, and guidance on working for and with people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
• chapters explaining substantive law and procedure and guiding readers through the mechanics of a child and family services file, including both the processes under of the Child, Family and Community Service Act and suggestions for collaborative and creative alternatives
• the complete text of An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families, the Child, Family and Community Service Act, the Child, Family and Community Service Regulation, and the Provincial Court (Child, Family and Community Service Act) Rules, all annotated with cases under the specific sections of the legislation
• checklists and forms and precedents to support child and family services lawyers in their practice

Welcome and Land Acknowledgement (9:00 – 9:15)

Elder Xelemilh Doris Paul — Squamish Nation, North Vancouver
Teresa Sheward — Program Lawyer, CLEBC, Vancouver
Harshada Deshpande — Staff Lawyer, Parents Legal Center, Legal Aid BC, Vancouver
Jasmine Perhar — Feenie MacDonald, Vancouver

Opening Keynote "The Role of Advocacy: How Can Lawyers and Advocates Advance the Voices of Indigenous Families and Children?" (9:15 – 9:50) (virtual presentation)

Justice Ardith (Wal-pet-ko We-dalx) Walkem — Supreme Court of BC, Chilliwack

Splatsin First Nation Child Welfare (9:50 – 10:40)

• Splatsin Stsmamlt Services
• update on exercise of jurisdiction
• practical impacts of jurisdiction on families

Tkwamipla7 Miranda Kimbasket — Councillor, Splatsin Nation, Enderby
Rhonda McEachern — Jurisdictional Liaison Coordinator, Splatsin Stsmamlt Services, Enderby (virtual presentation)
Crystal Reeves — Mandell Pinder LLP, Vancouver

BREAK (10:40 – 10:55)

Cowichan Tribes Child and Family Wellness (10:55 – 11:35) (virtual presentation)

• Snuw'uy'ulhtst tu Quw'utsun Mustimuhw u' tu Shhw'a'luqw'a' i' Smun'eem—"The Laws of the Cowichan People for Families and Children"
• update on exercise of jurisdiction 
• practical impacts of jurisdiction on families
• intersection between family, caregivers, nations, Indigenous governing bodies, MCFD, and the role of the director

Robert B. Morales — Chair, First Nations Summit Chief Negotiators Forum; Negotiator/Lawyer, Cowichan Tribes, Duncan

Questions & Discussion (11:35 – 11:45)

LUNCH (provided to in-person registrants) (11:45 – 12:45)

View from the Bench (12:45 – 1:45)

• list days
• CFCSA conferences
• trial conduct
• priority parenting matters
• general tips

Judge Wendy Bernt — Provincial Court of BC, Smithers (virtual presentation)
Judge Nancy N. Phillips — Provincial Court of BC, Vancouver

Priority Parenting Applications under CFCSA Proceedings (1:45 – 2:30)

• Priority Parenting Applications and how they intersect with CFCSA
• benefits to facilitate a return by filing a Priority Parenting Application for guardianship
• what to consider before filing a Prioritiy Parenting Application
• new form for applications about priority parenting matters, option to aply for guardianship
• comparison of options for guardianship/custody in FLA and CFCSA proceedings

Colin Ferguson — Ferguson Family Law, North Vancouver
Miscia Sullivan — Feenie MacDonald, Vancouver

BREAK (2:30 – 2:45)

Collaborative Practice: Finding Creative Solutions (2:45 – 3:30)

• why participate in collaborative practices
• statutory framework
• options for collaborative processes
• enhancing participation of parents and youth

Lori Frank, RRM — Director of Child Welfare Initiatives, Mediate BC, Vancouver (virtual presentation)
Patricia L. MacDonald — Feenie MacDonald, Vancouver
Todd McPherson — Parents Legal Center, Legal Aid BC, Vancouver

Practice Tips Roundtable (3:30 – 4:25)

• recommendations from authors of the CLEBC Child and Family Services Law and Practice Manual
• perspectives from director's counsel
• community involvement in all aspects
• applications for youth and caregiver to receive independent legal adivce
• practicing in a trauma-informed way: tips for lawyers to take care of themselves

Kristine P. All — Thorpe & Company Lawyers, Vancouver
Fiona M. Beveridge — Fiona Beveridge Family Law, Vancouver
Harshada Deshpande — Staff Lawyer, Parents Legal Center, Legal Aid BC, Vancouver
Katrina Harry, KC — Indigenous Services Manager, Legal Aid BC, Vancouver
Dawn Johnson — Mandell Pinder LLP, Vancouver
Laura A. Matthews — Matthews Mediation, Mission
Jasmine Perhar — Feenie MacDonald, Vancouver

Closing Comments (4:25 – 4:30)

Harshada Deshpande — Staff Lawyer, Parents Legal Center, Legal Aid BC, Vancouver
Jasmine Perhar — Feenie MacDonald, Vancouver