We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial, and Aboriginal governments to commit to reducing the number of Aboriginal children in care by:
- Monitoring and assessing neglect investigations
- Providing adequate resources to enable Aboriginal communities and child-welfare organizations to keep Aboriginal families together where it is safe to do so, and to keep children in culturally appropriate environments, regardless of where they reside.
- Ensuring that social workers and others who conduct child-welfare investigations are properly educated and trained about the history and impacts of residential schools.
- Ensuring that social workers and others who conduct child-welfare investigations are properly educated and trained about the potential for Aboriginal communities and families to provide more appropriate solutions to family healing.
- Requiring that all child-welfare decision makers consider the impact of the residential school experience on children and their caregivers.
Why “In Progress?”
Governments in all jurisdictions – federal, provincial and territory – have initiated specific plans to directly address 1, 2, and 3. National Professional Social Worker organizations address 4 and 5.
April 16, 2024: Budget 2024 proposes to provide $1.8 billion over 11 years, starting in 2023-24 to support communities in exercising jurisdiction under An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families, including the first Inuit agreement to support community-led, prevention-based solutions to reduce the number of children in care.
Budget 2024 proposes to provide $167.5 million over two years, starting in 2023-24, to ensure Inuit children can access the health, social, and educational services they need, when they need them. The government continues to work with Inuit partners to advance the long-term vision of the Inuit Child First Initiative so that Inuit children will continue to receive timely, high-quality services.
New Brunswick has ended the use of Birth Alerts as of Oct. 29, 2021 joining Saskatchewan (Feb. 1 2021), PEI (Feb. 5, 2021), Ontario (Oct. 15, 2020), Manitoba (June 30, 2020) and B.C. (Sept. 16, 2019)
Current Status
In Progress
Call to Action
last updated
April 16, 2024
Jan. 4, 2022: Assembly of First Nations – In a total settlement package valued at $40 billion, the AFN, the Government of Canada and other parties signed two Agreements-in-Principle on December 31, 2021.
- First Agreements-in-Principle proposes a total settlement of $20 billion in compensation to First Nations children and families impacted by discrimination through the FNCFS program and the improper implementation of Jordan’s Principle.
- The second Agreement-in-Principle commits the Government of Canada to $19.807 billion to reform the current FNCFS program and includes a framework to correct the many discriminatory aspects of the FNCFS program and the implementation of Jordan’s Principle.
No formal mechanism or coordinated plan in place at the federal, provincial or territory levels to monitor and assess neglect investigations
Latest Updates
Federal Budgets
Budget 2024: Investments in Child Welfare
The Best Start for Every Indigenous Child Through An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families, more Indigenous communities are reclaiming……
April 16, 2024
Reducing # of children-in-care
Indigenous organization hopes additional government money will remove barriers
$6.6 M in funds announced for family resource networks in Alberta Minister Searle Turon speaks in Edmonton at the Bent Arrow Healing Society on April……
April 2, 2024
Reducing # of children-in-care
New family wellness centre planned for Iqaluit
Centre to open in former group home for girls; building has 7 bedrooms, room for office and programs A new family wellness centre will open……
March 14, 2024
Canadian Human Rights Tribunal
Federal Court of Canada Appoints Settlement Implementation Committee to Compensate First Nations Children and Families
NationTalk: (Ottawa, Unceded Algonquin Territory, Ontario) – The Federal Court of Canada has recently issued an order appointing individuals to serve on the Settlement Implementation……
December 6, 2023
Indigenous-led Initiatives
Award-winning framework gives a voice to Indigenous youth transitioning out of care
“A lot of funders, they’ll put certain stipulations about evaluation in funding agreements that are pretty black and white. They’re numbers based and they don’t……
December 4, 2023
Reducing # of children-in-care
Judge approves historic $23B First Nations child welfare compensation agreement
The settlement agreement is the largest ever in Canada The class-action lawsuit against Ottawa was based largely on a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruling which……
October 24, 2023
Reducing # of children-in-care
15 New homes for women, children and young adults coming to Hazelton
NationTalk: The Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia are providing $9.6 million to build 9 new homes and six beds in in……
October 10, 2023
Reducing # of children-in-care
Simpcw expands prevention services to urban families through new agreement
NationTalk: VICTORIA – Simpcw First Nation is partnering with the Province on a two-year project focused on keeping families together through connections to their culture,……
October 5, 2023
Indigenous-led Initiatives
MMF breaks ground on transitional housing for kids in care
NationTalk: Winnipeg, MB, in the National Homeland of the Red River Métis - Today, the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF), the National Government of the Red River Métis, was……
October 5, 2023
Reducing # of children-in-care
Public Advisory: Premier Furey to Deliver Apology to Former Students of the Residential School System at Cartwright, Labrador
NationTalk: The Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, will deliver an apology to former students of the residential school system and family……
September 27, 2023
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Official Federal Government Response: Sept. 5, 2019
The Government of Canada has made historic investments to better support the well-being of children and families on reserve, improve the quality of education for First Nations children and urgently address housing needs on reserve. These investments include Budget 2016 funding of $635 million over 5 years and ongoing, as a first step in addressing funding gaps in First Nations Child and Family Services and provide greater support for culturally appropriate prevention services and front-line service delivery. Budget 2018 announced additional funding of $1.4 billion over 6 years, starting in fiscal year 2017 to 2018, for the First Nations Child and Family Services Program to address the funding pressures facing child and family service agencies, while increasing prevention resources so that children are safe and families can stay together. To support the safety and well-being of First Nations children and families living on reserve, Indigenous Services Canada is focused on fully implementing the orders of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, including reimbursement of funding to First Nations child and family services agencies based on actual costs for prevention, intake and investigation, legal fees, building repairs and small agencies in the best interest of the child, as well as reforming the First Nations Child and Family Services Program. These solutions, however, are multi-faceted and will require collaboration with First Nations partners, the provinces and territories to ensure that the well-being of children comes first.
The Government of Canada will continue to collaborate with First Nations, Inuit and Métis, as well as other partners, to advance the reforms to child and family services that are needed and develop Indigenous-led solutions that put the well-being of children first. For example: $1 million in funding was provided to the Métis National Council to support their work on engagement and consultation to advance culturally appropriate reform.
The government is also engaged in over 80 Recognition of Indigenous Rights and Self-Determination discussions tables through which Canada and Indigenous groups explore new ideas and ways to reach agreements that will recognize the rights of Indigenous groups and advance their vision of self-determination for the benefit of their communities and all Canadians. In many of the existing discussions Indigenous groups have identified child and family services as an important subject for discussion.