The mother of a two-year-old boy killed while in the Manitoba child welfare system is joining a class-action lawsuit to sue the government for alleged abuse in its childcare programs.

Natasha Guimond is among several parents who are suing because they say their children were much worse off under the care of the Child and Family Services system.

Her son, Gage, was killed in 2007. He was moved from a foster home to live with relatives who had criminal records. His great-aunt has been charged with manslaughter.

Guimond also has a five-year-old daughter, Evening Star, in Manitoba's child welfare system and is trying to regain custody of the child.

"I'd like to know a little more about my daughter instead of them telling me that she's better off without me," Guimond told CTV Winnipeg.

Jules Greyeyes is organizing the lawsuit through the North End Advocacy Group. He says 30 people are contributing money to fund the lawsuit, which he hopes will be filed in early 2010.

"It's about accountability, it's about responsibility," he told CTV Winnipeg

He said Child and Family Services needs to do a better job of communicating with parents.

A long recovery

Guimond admits she was not fit to be taking care of her son at the time of his death because of her addiction to drugs.

But she says the horrific phone call informing her of his death forced her to break the addiction cycle.

Now in her mid-20s, she has been sober for almost two years and is taking parenting classes, while working to go back to school.

"I'm trying my hardest to help myself get better to try and raise my daughter and help her," she said. "I know she's probably going through a lot herself."

Neither the province nor the child services agency would comment on the lawsuit.

There are more than 700 children in the province's child welfare system.