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?”
July 10, 2024: The federal government has signed a major agreement with First Nations organizations that will see Ottawa spend more than double what it planned two years ago, with $47.8-billion earmarked for First Nations child-welfare reforms. (See Call to Action # 1)
Governments in all jurisdictions – federal, provincial and territory – have initiated specific plans to directly address 1 and 2. National Professional Social Worker organizations address 3, 4 and 5.
June 14, 2024: Of the 44 Schools of Social Work in Canada, 33 have completely addressed the three specific elements identified in C2A # 1: 3, 4 and 5; 2 will implement a mandatory course in Sept, 2024 and 9 have no mandatory course at all (including 8 french universities)
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.
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
July 11, 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
Govt. Commitments to Child Welfare
AFN, federal government confirm $47.8B child welfare reform settlement offer
Vote on settlement offer to happen in September Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu and AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak at a news conference Thursday……
July 11, 2024
Govt. Commitments to Child Welfare
First Nations child welfare reform draft agreement includes $47.8-billion in federal spending
KRISTY KIRKUP National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak gives her opening address at the Assembly of First Nations annual general assembly in Montreal on July 9.CHRISTINNE……
July 10, 2024
Indigenous-led Initiatives
Children’s Special Allowance settlement update for members of Red River Métis CFS Class Action – opt out period begins
NationTalk: Winnipeg, MB, in the National Homeland of the Red River Métis – Today, the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF), the National Government of the Red……
July 5, 2024
Canadian Human Rights Tribunal
Federal court approves distribution plan for child welfare compensation
APTN News: The Assembly of First Nations says it welcomes the decision by the Federal Court to approve the distribution plan for families to receive……
June 20, 2024
Systemic Racism
PM says he will apologize for First Nations child welfare discrimination
Official apology part of agreement feds made in $23B settlement agreement Posted: Jun 19, 2024 7:25 PM EDT | Last Updated: June 20 Prime Minister……
June 19, 2024
Indigenous-led Initiatives
Otipemisiwak Métis Government creating Child Care spaces for Métis families
NationTalk: The Otipemisiwak Métis Government, representing the Métis Nation within Alberta, is thrilled to unveil its inaugural Métis Child Care Centre in Edmonton, slated to……
June 10, 2024
Commitment to Call to Action # 1
Université de Saint-Boniface École de travail social
Le baccalauréat en travail social (B.T.S.) est reconnu et agréé par l’Association canadienne pour la formation en travail social (ACFTS). L’École de travail social de l’USB est……
June 5, 2024
Commitment to Call to Action # 1
Université de Laval School of Social Work
If you choose to study social work or criminology at our school, you’ll enjoy an inclusive and stimulating learning environment. We’ll help you develop the critical thinking……
June 5, 2024
Commitment to Call to Action # 1
Université de Laval École de travail social
Choisir d’étudier en travail social ou en criminologie dans notre école, c’est vous offrir un environnement d’études inclusif et stimulant. Nous contribuerons à vous doter d’un sens……
June 5, 2024
Commitment to Call to Action # 1
Université du Québec à Montréal School of Social Work
The academic mission of UQAM’s School of Social Work is to train qualified social workers capable of interacting ethically and rigorously in complex situations. During their studies,……
June 5, 2024
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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.