TORONTO - Former Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief John Beaucage has been appointed to help the province address the needs of aboriginal children and youth.

Beaucage will provide advice on aboriginal child welfare issues for one year, as well as help with discussions between the government and First Nations leaders.

Minister of Children and Youth Services Laurel Broten said Wednesday that Beaucage's experience and the respect he has earned in the community will help gather the right expertise to guide policy matters.

"We need to have someone who can work alongside with me and ensure that we bring the right people to the table, that we have the conversation that's reflective of the diverse situation that aboriginal children and youth find themselves in depending of where they are in our province," Broten said.

The move is part of a government review of child and family services, which for the first time focused on aboriginal issues, and found a broader discussion was needed about child welfare issues in aboriginal communities.

That confirmed what Broten had been hearing from chiefs and Children's Aid Societies, she said, and helped her decide to appoint an aboriginal adviser.

The appointment also follows funding increases for struggling Children's Aid Societies, which largely focused on Payukotayno James and Hudson Bay Family Services -- an area that has seen an alarming rate of youth suicides.

"First Nation leaders have long advocated for an independent process to review the impact that the Child and Family Services Act has had on our communities and families and it seems that we have been granted the beginnings of that today," said Grand Chief Randall Phillips of the Chiefs of Ontario.

"It's a good start."

The Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies pegged services for aboriginal children and families as one of three key priorities in a report released Wednesday, saying more needed to be done.

Those communities "should receive their fair share of funding and the resources promised to them in treaty agreements not only for child welfare services but for other critical community supports," the association said.

About 21 per cent of Ontario's 9,000 Crown wards are aboriginal children and youth of Indian or native heritage.

Beaucage is also the CEO of the Lake Huron Anishinabek Transmission Co., and a strong advocate for First Nations health, environmental responsibility and child welfare.